The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining National Guard and Reserve service records, providing an addendum opinion regarding his right foot gout, right ankle condition, and stomach condition, and readjudicating the claim.
The deciding factor: Additional evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service or secondary to a pre-existing condition.
- Claimed conditions
- gout, right foot, residuals, right ankle fracture, residuals, gastroenteritis to include acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2017
- Citation
- 1759818
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 1759818.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gout in both his left and right feet, finding that there is no evidence of a relationship between his current condition and his active-duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for gout of both feet due to an inadequate VA medical opinion.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an earlier effective date and a compensable rating for chronic cough was denied, while the claims for service connection for lower back strain, spinal fusion surgery, L3-4 foraminotomy, L4-5 discectomy, and gout in the right foot were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for TMJD and granted a separate 10 percent rating for limited lateral excursion. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for left ankle, left foot, and right foot gout were remanded.
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