The Board has remanded the case due to duty-to-assist errors and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the likelihood that the Veteran's left metatarsalgia is related to his in-service foot injury.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was a duty-to-assist error prior to the rating decision on appeal, specifically regarding the lack of an opinion linking the Veteran's diagnosed left metatarsalgia to his in-service left foot injury.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot/ankle disability, left metatarsalgia
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2026
- Citation
- A26032330
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 A26032330.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for left plantar calcaneal spurring, left metatarsalgia, and left sinus tarsi syndrome have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Veteran's left foot plantar neuroma with degenerative arthritis and metatarsalgia is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating under DC 5279 for unilateral metatarsalgia. The Board found that a higher rating was not warranted as the symptoms were adequately addressed by the current rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right and left metatarsalgia, fibromyalgia as a presumptive qualifying chronic disability, and CFS as a presumptive qualifying chronic disability. Service connection was denied for right and left quadricep enthesopathy.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left and right foot disabilities, as well as bilateral metatarsalgia and ankle disabilities. The Veteran's current hip and thigh disabilities are also found to be secondary to his service-connected foot disabilities.
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