The Board has determined that the Veteran's left foot arthritis is attributable to service and has granted service connection for this condition. However, the issues of pes planus and hallux rigidus and valgus require further development as they may be related to pre-existing conditions or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was in relative equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's left foot arthritis is attributable to service, thus granting service connection. However, pes planus and hallux rigidus and valgus require further examination as their current status may be related to pre-existing conditions or aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals, left foot injury, traumatic arthritis of the left foot metatarsal bones, pes planus and hallux rigidus and valgus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21021018
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 21021018.
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 Veteran's residuals, left foot injury are found to more closely approximate a severe foot injury, warranting a rating of 30 percent.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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