The Board remands the claims for service connection for various bilateral foot, ankle, knee, and back conditions as they require further development of the record.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided were found to be inadequate due to their reliance on the absence of treatment records without consideration of the Veteran's reports of pain and other symptoms, and the medical opinions offered were deemed vague and conclusory.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, right foot hallux valgus with osteoarthritis great toe, left foot hallux valgus with osteoarthritis great toe, left metatarsalgia, right ankle disability (claimed as bilateral ankle pain condition), left ankle disability (claimed as bilateral ankle pain condition), right knee disability (claimed as bilateral knee pain), left knee disability (claimed as bilateral knee pain), back disability (claimed as back pain)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2024
- Citation
- A24066567
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 remands the Veteran's claims for an increased disability rating and earlier effective date based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in prior rating decisions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a higher rating for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis to obtain an opinion that addresses the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased rating to 50 percent for the Veteran's bilateral foot condition from February 25, 2020 to January 10, 2022, but denied ratings in excess of 10 percent and 50 percent at other times.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis and lumbar strain, as the earliest pending claims were filed on July 20, 2009.
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