The Board has determined that a remand is needed to obtain an adequate VA medical opinion regarding the nature and likely cause of any right foot disability, including hallux valgus (bunions), hammer toes, heel spur, and reported history of right foot injury. The issue remains denied.
The deciding factor: The current opinions are inadequate as they do not address whether the Veteran's 2006 right foot injury caused or aggravated his present disabilities, nor do they provide a clear opinion on causation based on service connection theory.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Heel Spur, Hallux Valgus (Bunions), Hammer Toes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2024
- Citation
- 24005138
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 24005138.
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 Board has granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's service-connected right and left feet conditions, which include arthritis, hallux valgus (bunions), and calluses. The ratings are effective from December 18, 2008.
- Granted
The Veteran's right foot degenerative arthritis with pes planus, plantar fasciitis, and hammer toes is rated at 30 percent from November 14, 2022 through March 22, 2023. The separate rating for peripheral neuropathy of the right foot remains at 40 percent.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of May 28, 2015 for the grant of service connection for a right heel spur and assigned a disability rating of 20 percent for this condition from that date.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including toenail disorder, toe disorder, headaches, gastrointestinal disorder, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension, were denied as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or a link to service.
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