The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings for foot conditions to afford the Veteran a VA examination which addresses all of his right foot diagnoses, including pes planus, hallux valgus, and plantar fasciitis. The Board also remands the claims to assess the severity of the Veteran's bilateral heel spurs without the ameliorative effects of medication.
The deciding factor: Remand is required for a VA examination addressing all diagnosed right foot conditions and an assessment of the severity of the Veteran's bilateral heel spurs without the ameliorative effects of medication, as per the February 2024 JMPR.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot injury, other than heel spur and hammertoes, left foot heel spur, right foot heel spur
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2025
- Citation
- 25005192
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 appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death before it could be adjudicated.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, including stress fracture of the left foot with pain, right foot injury, right knee pain, left ankle tendonitis, and hallux valgus on both feet, as well as left ear hearing loss.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal for claims related to a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for left ear hearing loss and a right foot injury.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria, as there was no legal basis to support an earlier effective date.
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