The Veteran's claims for increased ratings in excess of 20 percent for left and right foot bunion deformities are being remanded due to the passage of time since his last VA examination, which may have resulted in worsening of his conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board cannot make a fully informed decision based on the length of time since the Veteran's last VA examination, which could indicate potential worsening of his service-connected foot conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot bunion deformity, right foot bunion deformity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23040623
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 23040623.
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 service connection for a left foot bunion and a compensable rating for a right big toe scar, while remanding several other issues including entitlement to ratings in excess of 10 percent for right foot bunion deformity, ovarian cyst, persistent depressive disorder dysthymia (also claimed as generalized anxiety disorder), cervical strain, and superficial numbness, right distal outer ear.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal regarding the reopening of claims for left foot bunion deformity and right foot bunion deformity was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.,The Veteran's appeal regarding the reopening of a claim for left knee disorder was also dismissed as no new and material evidence had been received.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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