The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for service-connected gout of the left and right knees, as well as spondylosis of the lumbar spine due to lack of recent VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The most recent VA examinations were conducted in April 2016 and September 2016, which are outdated and do not reflect current severity of the service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- gout of the left knee, gout of the right knee, spondylosis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20034388
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 20034388.
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 Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gout of the right knee, left knee, right toes, left foot, and right wrist. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examination provided was inadequate for rating purposes and remanded the case for further development, including a supplemental medical examination.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, effective April 2025.
- Denied
The Board denied the appeals for ratings in excess of 10 percent and 30 percent for various gout conditions affecting the right knee, left knee, left ankle, left hand, and left elbow. The claims were denied based on the evidence showing that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet or nearly approximate the criteria for higher ratings.
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