The Board remands the veteran's claims for increased initial disability ratings for her bilateral hip and foot disabilities to correct pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.
The deciding factor: The examinations were inadequate as they did not address certain required elements, such as flare-ups and the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral plantar fasciitis, Left hip femoral acetabular impingement syndrome with limited flexion, Left hip femoral acetabular impingement syndrome with painful motion, Right hip femoral acetabular impingement syndrome with limited flexion, Right hip femoral acetabular impingement syndrome with painful motion, Left hip femoral acetabular impingement syndrome with limited extension, Right hip femoral acetabular impingement syndrome with limited extension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25045056
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 service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include alcohol use disorder, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, and PTSD was granted. Other claims for various conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for higher ratings on all claims due to untimely Notices of Disagreement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the claims for service connection due to a regulatory duty to assist error.
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