The Board has decided to remand the claims for pes cavus, hammertoes, low back disorder (DDD of the lumbar spine), and bilateral knee disabilities due to the need for clarification regarding whether these conditions are related to service or if they were aggravated by a pre-existing condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional medical examination is necessary to clarify the etiology of the Veteran's pes cavus, hammertoes, low back disorder (DDD of the lumbar spine), and bilateral knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- pes cavus, hammertoes, low back disorder (DDD of the lumbar spine), bilateral degenerative osteoarthritis of the knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20074801
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20074801.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's initial claims for service connection were not properly considered and remanded to obtain a full copy of her service treatment records. The Veteran was also scheduled for an examination to determine if she had any current bilateral foot disorders, including pes planus, pes cavus, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, or pain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand two issues: service connection for common headaches (claimed as migraines) secondary to vitiligo and service connection for pes cavus. The Veteran's claims are being returned due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring a new one with a proper evaluation of the Veteran's foot disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed left foot disabilities, specifically pes cavus and metatarsalgia. The Veteran is required to undergo a VA examination to determine the nature of these conditions and their relationship to service.
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