The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral foot disabilities, including heel spurs now claimed as plantar fasciitis, require additional examination and analysis to determine the current severity of these conditions. The Veteran is being asked to undergo a VA examination to assess the full range of motion and functional loss during flare-ups, which addresses matters in compliance with current case law.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that remand is necessary due to the need for additional examination and analysis regarding the Veteran's bilateral foot disabilities, including his heel spurs now claimed as plantar fasciitis.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flat feet, hallux valgus left great toe, hallux valgus right great toe, heel spurs (now claimed as plantar fasciitis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2023
- Citation
- 23064611
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 23064611.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance, resulting in the grant of special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance. The issue of entitlement to special monthly compensation at the housebound rate is moot.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ committed pre-decisional duty to assist errors by not assisting the Veteran to identify and obtain relevant treatment records regarding his bilateral flat feet and for relying on an inadequate addendum opinion. The case is therefore REMANDED for these actions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected bilateral flat feet and lumbosacral strain have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition.
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