The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right ankle degenerative joint diseases, as well as his bilateral pes planus with history of right ankle sprain and posterior tibial tendonitis. The VA is required to obtain any outstanding medical records from VA facilities in Durham and Clayton, North Carolina, and from private providers identified by the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The Board found that VA has not made reasonable efforts to obtain all relevant medical records, particularly those from the identified private providers, and thus remanded these claims for further development.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle degenerative joint disease, right ankle degenerative joint disease, bilateral pes planus with history of right ankle sprain and posterior tibial tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2024
- Citation
- 24016839
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 24016839.
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 has granted service connection for chronic back pain as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected multiple myeloma. The appeal is being remanded for further development regarding other claimed conditions, including those potentially related to exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings on multiple service-connected knee and hip conditions has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for trigeminal nerve neuralgia due to the Veteran's service-connected frostbite of the ears, and increased the rating for right ankle degenerative joint disease from 10 percent to 20 percent. The claims for an increased rating for right ear frostbite and a separate rating for left ear frostbite residuals were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion to address the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's left ankle disability.
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