The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his right ankle and right foot disabilities are being remanded due to the need for new VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that a new VA examination is necessary to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right ankle and right foot disabilities, given their proximity to each other in terms of appeal status.
- Claimed conditions
- Achilles tendonitis, Heel spur, Right foot pes planus with right foot plantar fasciitis and right foot hallux valgus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2024
- Citation
- 24001878
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24001878.
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 claim for a rating higher than 10 percent for Achilles tendonitis and degenerative arthritis of the right heel, stating that the condition does not result in marked limitation of motion.
- Partly granted
The Board has granted initial disability ratings of 10 percent for bilateral Achilles tendonitis prior to April 12, 2024. Beginning on that date, the Veteran's entitlement to a higher rating is in relative equipoise with the evidence supporting such.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, resulting in a grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current foot disabilities are related to service. The AOJ is required to provide an examination and obtain a medical opinion.
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