The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination findings and a need for additional opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's foot conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not comply with the November 2020 Board remand directives, specifically in specifying which symptoms were attributable to each service-connected disability and providing retrospective opinions on the severity of the plantar fasciitis over time.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot plantar fasciitis, left foot plantar fasciitis with calcaneal spur, bilateral plantar fasciitis with left foot calcaneal spur, right hallux valgus with degenerative arthritis of the right toe, left achilles enthesopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2021
- Citation
- 21074824
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 21074824.
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 determined that the claims for increased rating and service connection must be remanded due to inadequate examinations and duty-to-assist errors.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection for various conditions including hypoglycemia, sinusitis, left foot pes planus, right foot pes planus, right foot plantar fasciitis, left ankle pain, left hip osteoarthritis, left knee sprain, bradycardia, dry eye, hernia, hypercholesterolemia, and bilateral hearing loss.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot and left foot plantar fasciitis, finding that there was no credible evidence to support the claim of in-service onset or relationship to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities, need further development and a new medical opinion.
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