The Board has remanded the claim for a secondary service connection opinion regarding whether any of the Veteran's foot disabilities (other than his bilateral foot drop) are at least as likely as not related to, proximately due to, or aggravated beyond their natural progression by his bilateral foot drop.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's foot disorders were proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected condition and that they clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and were not aggravated by an in-service injury, event, or illness.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot pes planus, right foot degenerative arthritis (including calcaneal spur), left foot chronic deformity at the second metatarsophalangeal joint, bilateral metatarsalgia, bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral contact dermatitis, bilateral foot numbness/tingling
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2022
- Citation
- 22033782
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 22033782.
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 appeals regarding the evaluation of bilateral plantar fasciitis and residuals of fractures of the second, fourth, and fifth left toes, as well as the evaluation of bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy with loss of use, are dismissed as untimely.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and his service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of a bilateral foot condition due to lack of STRs and need for further examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing pes planus condition was aggravated by service. The effective date is August 15, 2025.
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