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Board of Veterans' Appeals · Legacy series

Entitlement to service connection for a bilateral leg disability, to include as due to service-connected low back disability, is denied.

January 30, 2026Citation Nr. 26001394Docket 13-03 384va.gov source

  • bilateral leg disabilityDenied
  • bilateral foot disabilityDenied
  • initial disability rating for low back disabilityRemanded
  • TDIURemanded

Board reasoning

The Board denied service connection for the bilateral leg and bilateral foot disabilities after evaluating the evidence and concluding there is no etiological link to service or the back condition, noting treatment history, lack of in-service foot problems, and inconsistent lay statements. The Board also remanded the rating for the low back disability and the TDIU, directing a retrospective medical opinion to assess functional impairment over time and whether the back disability ever met a higher rating or caused total disability. The Board cited prior cases to discuss remand procedures and the duty to assist, but did not provide a favorable nexus for the leg or foot conditions.

Issues

  • bilateral leg disabilityDenied
  • bilateral foot disabilityDenied
  • initial disability rating for low back disabilityRemanded
  • TDIURemanded

Authorities

  • Dickens v. McDonald, 814 F.3d 1359applies duty to assist and liberal reading.

Extracted with gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07. Citations are kept only when they appear in the decision text.