The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected right Achilles tendonitis is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining an opinion on the extent of range of motion during flare-ups and after repeated use over time.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided were insufficient as they did not include joint testing for pain with weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing, which is required by Correia v. McDonald (2016).
- Claimed conditions
- Right Achilles Tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2026
- Citation
- A26019565
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 A26019565.
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 Veteran's right Achilles tendonitis is rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted due to limited range of motion. The claim for a temporary total evaluation based on treatment for service-connected right Achilles tendonitis is denied. The claim for a temporary total evaluation based on left ankle convalescence prior to October 25, 2020, and after February 1, 2021, is also denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's right and left ankle disabilities have been rated at 10% since December 1, 2010. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to April 19, 2010.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for restless leg syndrome and right Achilles tendonitis due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
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