The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, hammer toes, tailor's bunion, and inferior calcaneal exostosis as well as posterior calcaneal exostosis of the left foot and a compensable evaluation for difficulty breathing due to deficiencies in the record.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion did not adequately address the Veteran's lay statements of in-service injuries and there was no objective evidence to support a diagnosis of respiratory disability, necessitating additional development.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral pes planus, hammer toes, tailor's bunion, and inferior calcaneal exostosis as well as posterior calcaneal exostosis of the left foot, difficulty breathing
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25051076
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,272 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25051076.
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 has remanded the issues of service connection for extreme fatigue, difficulty breathing, sepsis, and urinary tract infection due to incomplete records and a need for additional medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's respiratory disability, including difficulty breathing and COPD, is related to in-service toxic exposure risk activities. However, due to a duty to assist error, the case is being remanded for further evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, specifically regarding the Veteran's exposure to burn pits and other airborne chemicals during his deployment to Honduras. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a respiratory disability, including COPD, chronic bronchitis, and difficulty breathing.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for chronic cough and difficulty breathing (diagnosed as chronic bronchitis) is dismissed. Service connection for aortic aneurysm is granted.
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