The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the appropriate ratings for his bilateral plantar fasciitis, DDD of the lumbar spine, hip disabilities, and cervical degenerative joint disease. The effective date claim for service connection remains denied.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to September 2016 for service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine, which was granted in June 2017 with an effective date of September 5, 2016. The Veteran's current claims are remanded as there may be additional evidence that could affect the effective date and other issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Bilateral Plantar Fasciitis, Right Hip Disability, Left Hip Disability, Cervical Degenerative Joint Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23067821
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 23067821.
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.
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The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's right hip disability, finding that her current 10 percent rating adequately reflects her symptoms and limitations.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Generalized Anxiety Disorder was dismissed due to untimely filing. The claim of service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded.
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