Citation Nr: 18152088
Decision Date: 11/21/18	Archive Date: 11/20/18

DOCKET NO. 16-52 732
DATE:	November 21, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for a right foot disability, to include as secondary to a left ankle disability and/or left foot disability, is remanded.  
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran had active naval service from June 1980 to June 1983.  
This case comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a February 2016 rating decision issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Phoenix, Arizona.  
The Board finds that additional development is required before the claim on appeal may be decided.  
In June 2016, the Veteran was afforded a VA examination.  The examiner diagnosed, in pertinent part, right foot pes planus and opined that the Veteran’s right foot pes planus was less likely than not the result of his left ankle disability and/or left foot disability.    
The Board finds the June 2016 VA opinion is inadequate to adjudicate the claim.  In this regard, the examiner did not address whether the Veteran’s right foot pes planus disability was aggravated by his service-connected left ankle disability and/or left foot disability.  Therefore, the Board finds that the Veteran should be afforded a new VA examination and medical opinion to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed right foot disability.  
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Identify and obtain any pertinent, outstanding VA and private treatment records and associate them with the claims file.  
2. Then, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination by an examiner with appropriate expertise to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present right foot disability, to include pes planus.  The claims file must be made available to, and reviewed by the examiner.  Any indicated studies should be performed.  
Based on the examination results and a review of the record, the examiner should provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or better probability) that any currently present right foot disability had its onset during the Veteran’s active service, or is otherwise etiologically related to such service.  
The examiner should also provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or better probability) that any currently present right foot disability was caused or chronically worsened by a service-connected left ankle disability and/or left foot disability.      
The examiner must consider the Veteran’s lay statements regarding the onset and continuity of his symptoms.  
The rationale for all opinions expressed must be provided.
3. Confirm that the VA examination report and all medical opinions provided comport with this remand and undertake any other development determined to be warranted.  
4. Then, readjudicate the issue on appeal.  If the decision is adverse to the Veteran, issue a supplemental statement of the case and allow appropriate time for response.  Then, return the case to the Board.  
 
Kristin Haddock
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	C. O’Donnell, Associate Counsel