The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of service connection for left foot disorder, including hallux valgus with hammer toes and enthesopathy, should be remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ must schedule the Veteran for an appropriate VA examination to determine the current nature and etiology of any current left foot disorders.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous medical opinions were inadequate as they did not address all relevant diagnoses, including enthesopathy, nor did they adequately consider the Veteran's reports of continuous left foot pain since service.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot hallux valgus, left foot hammer toes, left foot enthesopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2024
- Citation
- A24076527
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 A24076527.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal. The Board cannot issue a decision on the merits as they have no jurisdiction.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all appeals regarding his service-connected conditions and related disability ratings, effective as of March 16, 2026.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations. The TDIU claim was granted due to the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and inadequate examination opinions. The Veteran is seeking treatment for his left foot hallux valgus, pes planus, right fifth finger traumatic injury with arthritis, but the VA examinations did not consider all relevant evidence.
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