The Board has denied service connection for left foot arthritis and remanded the issue of amputation of the right fourth toe due to inadequate examination opinions regarding aggravation by service-connected bilateral flat feet.
The deciding factor: The July 2019 VA examiner did not provide an adequate opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral congenital flat feet aggravated his disability as a result of the amputation of the right fourth toe, and another remand is necessary to obtain such an opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot arthritis, amputation of right fourth toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21013508
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 21013508.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for lumbosacral strain, left shoulder tendonitis, and left foot arthritis due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's bilateral foot, hand, and hip conditions are remanded due to a duty to assist error. The AOJ is instructed to obtain new medical opinions regarding whether these conditions are aggravated by the Veteran's inability to take NSAIDs due to his service-connected kidney removal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU was dismissed due to withdrawal. The earlier effective date claim for the increased rating of left foot arthritis was denied as there was no evidence of an increase in disability within one year prior to the November 2018 claim. The Veteran's request for a higher rating for his left foot condition, which is currently rated at 10%, was also denied.
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