The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining new VA etiology opinions to determine the etiology of the Veteran's joint pain associated with his right knee, bilateral elbows, bilateral shoulders, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and left wrist.
The deciding factor: The April 2023 VA examination potentially raised the issue of entitlement to service connection for a left Achilles calcaneal spur disability, and the Board found that the April 2022 VA opinion addressing secondary service connection was inadequate. Therefore, new opinions are needed.
- Claimed conditions
- generalized joint disability, right knee arthritis, bilateral elbow condylitis, bilateral shoulder impingement syndrome, plantar fasciitis, left wrist de Quervain's syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2025
- Citation
- 25006656
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 claim for a medical opinion on whether plantar fasciitis was aggravated by active duty training.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bronchitis, COPD, asthma, and plantar fasciitis as not being related to the Veteran's military service. The Board also denied an increased rating for painful malunion of the left clavicle, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to the Veteran's asthma with sinusitis, but denied service connection for a low back sprain and plantar fasciitis. The claim for a neck condition was dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for multiple conditions, including left and right leg, arm, knee, shoulder, kidney, plantar fasciitis, and back conditions, as further development is needed to address pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
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