The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient development of evidence for the right ankle and bilateral great toe disabilities. The Board requests additional examinations and opinions to address functional limitations, flare-ups, and medication use.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not comply with the April 2018 and July 2019 remand directives regarding frequency of flare-ups and medication use.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle instability, Gout (degenerative joint disease), Residuals of a fracture of the lateral malleoulus of the right ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20041689
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 20041689.
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 Veteran's right ankle disability, including instability and tendonitis, is rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to lack of marked limited motion or other significant impairment.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle instability and secondary service connection for a right ankle scar. The decision also readjudicates the claim of service connection for the right ankle scar.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered the case to be remanded due to issues with the rating assigned for right ankle instability and arthritis. The Veteran's symptoms have been found to significantly impact his ability to use his ankle, requiring a brace and cane.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected HIV and related conditions have resulted in the effective loss of use of his left foot, meeting the criteria for automobile or adaptive equipment eligibility.
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