The Board remands the appeal for readjudication of service connection claims, primarily focusing on a left heel disability and its secondary effects.
The deciding factor: The April 2023 VA medical opinion was inadequate to inform adjudication of entitlement to service connection for the left heel disability due to an error in addressing whether the Veteran's documented October 1996 onset of left heel pain during INACDUTRA, pain that then persisted for at least a period of months thereafter, represents an injury that caused or aggravated the currently diagnosed left heel osteoarthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- left heel disability, left shoulder disability, left ankle disability, left hip disability, right ankle disability, right foot disability, right hip disability, right shoulder disability, lower spine disability, upper spine disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25051372
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 multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability but denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee disability prior to April 25, 2019.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a right hip disability, and granted a 30 percent rating for ureterolithiasis. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, while other claims were remanded.
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