The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left foot hammer toes, hallux valgus, and metatarsalgia due to a duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was an evidentiary threshold for an examination met prior to the rating decision on appeal based on VA treatment records and in-service treatment records showing problems with the Veteran's feet.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot hammer toes, left foot hammer toes, hallux valgus, metatarsalgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2023
- Citation
- A23029782
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 A23029782.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hallux valgus, finding no competent and credible evidence linking her current condition to active service.
- Granted
The Veteran's left foot metatarsalgia is granted as secondary to his service-connected left foot Lisfranc fracture and other disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU benefits from December 1, 2023 are denied due to his employment as a government tax collector.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, requiring a new one with a proper evaluation of the Veteran's foot disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for metatarsalgia, tailor's bunion, intractable plantar keratosis, callus, and osteoarthritis of the left foot great toe. The decision is based on evidence showing a direct relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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