The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and inadequate medical evidence regarding whether the appellant's diagnosed bilateral foot disability was incurred or aggravated during her ACDUTRA service from February 1983 to April 1983. The VA must obtain the appellant's complete service records and provide an addendum opinion to address these issues.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the AOJ did not consider all available evidence, including the appellant's in-service symptoms and post-service diagnoses, and thus remanded for further development of the record and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of her bilateral foot disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral foot disability, pes planus, hallux valgus, plantar fasciitis, osteoarthritis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, degenerative joint disease (DJD) involving first metatarsophalangeal joint, posterior calcaneal spur on both feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2023
- Citation
- A23028631
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 A23028631.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral foot disability is related to his active military service and grants service connection for this condition.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for athletes' foot, low back strain, and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of a VA examination prior to the August 2020 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a new examination to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding her symptoms during service.
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