The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain a new VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's right great toe amputation and its relation to his service-connected foot disabilities.
The deciding factor: The previous opinions were not adequate as they did not address whether the Veteran’s right great toe amputation was caused or aggravated by his already service-connected foot disabilities, but rather focused on their relationship to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- right great toe amputation, bilateral pes planus with hallux valgus, degenerative joint disease of the metatarsophalangeal joint of both great toes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21001924
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 21001924.
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 decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error in failing to obtain VA and private medical records related to the Veteran's right great toe amputation. The Veteran will need to provide information about his treatment providers and authorize release of their records.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning the service connection for removal of gallbladder, right great toe amputation, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for right great toe amputation, finding that it was a complication of nonservice-connected diabetes mellitus and not caused or aggravated by any service-connected condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic kidney failure, right leg amputation, and various peripheral neuropathies, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since March 4, 2011. The effective date for TDIU is set at this date.
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