The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected seronegative polyarthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, knees, hands, and shoulders is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.
The deciding factor: Additional medical evidence is needed to determine if the arthritis is still active and to assess the extent of the Veteran's disability.
- Claimed conditions
- seronegative polyarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0913237
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 0913237.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling the Veteran for a comprehensive VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's seronegative polyarthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, knees, hands, and shoulders is not manifested by weight loss and anemia productive of severe impairment of health or severely incapacitating exacerbations occurring 4 or more times a year. Therefore, his claim for a higher disability rating is denied.
- Denied
The veteran's service-connected gout with seronegative polyarthritis is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation due to lack of constitutional manifestations or severe impairment.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.