The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral flat foot, left and right foot hallux valgus, and a lumbar spine disorder due to insufficient VA medical opinions.
The deciding factor: Insufficient VA medical opinions were provided to adequately address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral flat foot (pes planus), left foot hallux valgus, right foot hallux, lumbar spine disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25029671
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 for service connection for a left wrist condition was dismissed due to concurrent election of higher-level review. The claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral pes planus, and for service connection for hearing loss, neck strain, and dermatitis were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral diabetic neuropathy.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's back, right ring finger, and left foot hallux valgus disabilities but granted an initial 30 percent rating for pes planus from August 17, 2021, a 50 percent rating for pes planus from December 15, 2023, and a separate 10 percent rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis from August 17, 2021.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a left hip disability and remanded claims for right foot hallux valgus, left foot hallux valgus, right hip disability, and right shoulder disability due to inadequate medical opinions.
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