The Board has remanded the service connection claims for gout and an eye disability due to insufficient opinions from VA examiners. The Veteran's gout is being reviewed again to determine if it existed prior to his military service or was aggravated by service, while the eye disability claim requires a determination on whether it manifested during service or is related to hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA opinions were not responsive to the remand instructions and required additional clarification regarding the etiology of the Veteran's gout and eye disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- gout, eye disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19162868
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19162868.
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.
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The Board has remanded the Veteran's gout claim for additional development, including obtaining an adequate VA examination and ensuring all relevant records are obtained. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for gout and bilateral foot conditions due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's representative requested an informal conference, but it did not take place before the April 2021 rating decision was issued.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder, gout, multiple painful joints, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
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