The Veteran's appeal includes claims for increased evaluations and service connection for various foot, hand, and hip disabilities. The Board has ordered a new examination to address the severity of his right foot disability and to determine if any left foot conditions are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous examinations were inadequate and requested additional information from the Veteran's medical providers.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Foot Disability (Fracture of Mid-Shaft Right Third Metatarsal with Arthritis), Left Hand Edema, Left Hand Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Left Foot Hallux Valgus Deformity, Left Foot Metatarsalgia (Resolved), Left Foot Sprain (Resolved), Left Toe Infection (January 2010), Left Foot Degenerative Joint Disease (Diagnosed in February 2011, Resolved), Spurring of Left Great Toe
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2026
- Citation
- 26000857
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 26000857.
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 the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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