The Veteran's gouty arthritis is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence provided.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not find severe impairment of health or severely incapacitating exacerbations as required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5002.
- Claimed conditions
- gouty arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159570
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 19159570.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, but remanded claims for gouty arthritis and a right knee disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a rating of 100 percent for gouty arthritis since April 8, 2008, and denied an initial rating in excess of 60 percent prior to that date.
- Granted
The reduction in the rating for gouty arthritis from 100% to 60% was improper, and the 100% rating is restored. The effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits earlier than May 1, 2016, is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his conditions did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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