The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current foot conditions are related to in-service cold injuries. The VA must obtain a supplemental medical opinion addressing these issues.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing medical opinion did not fully address whether the Veteran may have had other residuals of cold injuries affecting his feet, including numbness and pain independent of bunions and fungal infections.
- Claimed conditions
- hallux valgus (bunion deformity), onychomycosis (fungal infection of the nails), numbness, coldness, pain in the anterior aspect of the left ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2021
- Citation
- 21022396
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 21022396.
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 disability of numbness, tingling, and pain in the left lower extremity is granted as service connected.
- Granted
The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities have been granted initial ratings of 20 percent each, effective April 19, 2023.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of the appeal, and thus the case is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a left-hand disability, to include numbness and degenerative arthritis, as the VA examination provided is found inadequate.
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