The Board remands the issues of service connection for bilateral foot disorders and bilateral ankle strains to obtain additional medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The negative opinions provided by the VA examiner are based on a lack of documentation in the record, which is inadequate according to legal standards.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral foot disorders, to include bilateral pes planus (claimed as foot pain) and bilateral onychomycosis (claimed foot fungus), bilateral ankle strains
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2024
- Citation
- A24073534
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 earlier effective dates for service connection and initial ratings, as well as special monthly compensation.
- Denied
The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the veteran has any current bilateral foot and ankle disorders as a result of his active military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.