The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was rated at a 10 percent prior to July 18, 2018 and granted a 30 percent rating from that date.,The Veteran's right knee disability was remanded for additional development due to outstanding non-VA treatment records.,The Veteran's Meniere's disease with chronic suppurative otitis media was remanded for an addendum opinion regarding whether tinnitus should be considered a symptom and if the condition warrants a compensable rating prior to August 7, 2020.,The Veteran's alopecia with scarring was remanded for an addendum opinion regarding whether it should be characterized as discoid lupus erythematous.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to July 18, 2018 and from that date onwards, the Veteran's pes planus has manifested with severe symptoms bilaterally.,There are outstanding non-VA treatment records which need to be obtained and added to the claims file.,The nature and etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus needs to be determined as a symptom of his Meniere's disease or separately rated under Diagnostic Code 6260, and whether it warrants a compensable rating prior to August 7, 2020.,Whether the Veteran's alopecia with scarring should be characterized as discoid lupus erythematous needs to be determined.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral pes planus, Right knee degenerative joint disease (a right knee disability), Meniere's disease with chronic suppurative otitis media (previously rated as bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tympanosclerosis), Alopecia with scarring
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2022
- Citation
- 22064637
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 22064637.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral pes planus and remanded the claims for service connection for tingling and numbness in the bilateral lower extremities and entitlement to TDIU.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU for the period from May 25, 2016 to January 18, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for right foot hallux valgus from January 9, 2024, and denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for pes planus from July 27, 2023. A 20 percent rating was assigned prior to April 26, 2019, for the Veteran's right compartment syndrome with reflex sympathetic dystrophy, right foot drop, and right shin splint.
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