The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cellulitis of the left and right ankles, as well as for a left foot condition and a right foot condition due to inadequate VA medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinions were found to be inadequate for adjudication purposes, particularly regarding the likelihood that the Veteran's in-service ankle conditions were acute rather than chronic, and whether his claimed foot conditions preexisted service.
- Claimed conditions
- cellulitis of the left ankle, cellulitis of the right ankle, left foot condition, right foot condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 24, 2023
- Citation
- 23046970
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 23046970.
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 claims for service connection for right ankle strain and right foot condition, finding no current disability related to service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for any of the claimed conditions, and thus service connection cannot be granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, depression, migraine headaches, hypertension, abnormal heartbeat, bilateral eye condition (sensitivity to light), erectile dysfunction, skin disorder, upper spine condition, lower back condition, skeletal arthritis of entire joint system, left hip condition, right hip condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, left foot condition, and right foot condition have all been denied.,The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for any of these conditions due to a lack of current disability or no evidence linking the claimed conditions to his active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a need for additional development to determine if the Veteran's foot conditions are related to her military service, and thus remands the case.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.