The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his gout of the left great toe and its relationship to his service-connected hypertension.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the gout was aggravated by the Maxzide used to treat the Veteran's hypertension, which is a primary argument in his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- left great toe gout
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2015
- Citation
- 1539698
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 1539698.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, sinusitis, and a nerve disorder other than service-connected bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy. However, it granted an initial 20 percent rating for left great toe gout and a 50 percent rating for migraines.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected psychiatric disorder, left knee and right knee disabilities, gout, stroke, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, actinic keratosis, bilateral knee scars, ear and forearm scars, sleep apnea, and TDIU. The Board has determined that additional VA treatment records need to be considered before a decision can be made.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for various knee and back conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for any of these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.
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.