The Board has remanded the claim for a right foot or ankle disability due to unclear service connection and potential aggravation of pre-existing conditions. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed again, with an in-person examination required to address his pes planus and any related disabilities.
The deciding factor: Further clarification is needed regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right foot or ankle disability due to conflicting evidence and lack of clarity on the scope of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Foot or Ankle Disability, Pes Planus (Bilateral)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23014865
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 23014865.
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 bilateral pes planus with degenerative arthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint is rated at 20 percent, representing a partial grant of his claim for an increased rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sinusitis and pes planus as the conditions were not shown to be incurred in or aggravated by service, and there was no evidence of aggravation of a pre-existing condition.
- Denied
The veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no credible supporting evidence of the claimed in-service stressors.,Service connection for COPD was denied due to lack of in-service manifestations and current findings are not related to service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability (other than a scar), left knee disability, or bilateral ankle disability related to his military service. The claim for a left knee scar is denied as there is no evidence of chronic worsening due to service. Service connection was also denied for pes planus.
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