The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in duty to assist and incomplete medical opinions. The right foot disability claim is being addressed, including considering a congenital defect theory of entitlement.
The deciding factor: Incomplete medical opinions did not address all applicable theories of entitlement and relevant service records.
- Claimed conditions
- Right foot disability, Left fifth toe, hammer toe with residuals of left fourth toe fracture (toe fracture), Congenital pes planus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26031678
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 A26031678.
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 and left foot disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board found that they do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for a right foot disability and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, and low back disabilities have been granted.
- Dismissed
The claim of entitlement to service connection for a right hand disability is dismissed.,The claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder based on a June 2020 claim is denied.,The claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral ankle and foot disabilities are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service connection was established based on a diagnosed condition and credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor.,Service connection for low back disability is granted, with the diagnosis being intervertebral disc degeneration and spinal stenosis of the lumbar region (low back disability).,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to his now service-connected low back disability is granted. The link between the two conditions was established by medical evidence.,Service connection for residuals of a head injury, manifested as head pain, memory impairment, loss of balance, and dizziness, is granted based on credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressor occurred.,The Veteran's right foot disability does not meet service connection criteria.
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