The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives, specifically regarding obtaining a medical opinion from a podiatrist. The Veteran's right foot big toe is not currently diagnosed as a hammertoe.
The deciding factor: There was no current diagnosis of hammer toe in the right great toe and the most recent VA examination did not diagnose it.
- Claimed conditions
- hammer toes, right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23048560
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 23048560.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for hammer toes, bilateral pes planus, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome to obtain an adequate medical opinion.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for flatfoot (pes planus) and hammer toes, right foot, as secondary to hallux valgus status post bunionectomy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a lack of proper notice of the Veteran's right to a pre-decisional hearing before the AOJ.
- Partly granted
The veteran was granted a 30% rating for GERD and a 50% rating for bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis with arthritis and gout of the feet. All other claims were denied.
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