The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate compliance with prior remand instructions and the need for additional evidence. The Veteran is presumed to have current skin disabilities, including eczema, and bilateral foot conditions such as pes planus, metatarsalgia, and plantar fasciitis. However, the Board found that there was not substantial compliance with the remand directives regarding exposure to contaminated water or military occupation-related injuries.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not adequately address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate consideration of his lay statements and medical records, as well as failure to obtain all relevant treatment records from August 2017 onwards.
- Claimed conditions
- eczema, bilateral pes planus, metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21009127
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 21009127.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Denied
The Board denied the Appellant's requests for earlier effective dates for his service connection for bilateral pes planus and gynecomastia scar residuals, finding that the earliest possible effective dates are the dates of receipt of the claims.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an initial noncompensable rating for eczema was granted, effective November 5, 2024. The effective date could not be earlier due to the lack of a prior formal or informal claim within one year of receipt of the Intent to File.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for athletes' foot, low back strain, and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of a VA examination prior to the August 2020 rating decision.
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