The Board denied increased ratings for right foot gout and partial tear of the left Achilles tendon and left foot gout from February 28, 2019 due to lack of evidence showing loss of use of the feet.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence failed to demonstrate that the Veteran's service-connected conditions resulted in no effective function remaining other than what would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election below the knee with a suitable prosthetic appliance.
- Claimed conditions
- gout affecting multiple joints, right foot gout, partial tear of the left Achilles tendon and left foot gout
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20046104
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 20046104.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for various service connection and rating decisions related to gout affecting multiple joints, left foot gout, right foot gout, elbow pronation and supination gout, elbow limitation of flexion gout, thumb gout, index finger gout, long finger gout, ring and little finger gout, middle finger gout, ankle gout, knee gout, and right thumb gout. The effective dates for these decisions were not earlier than the specified dates.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinea pedis, but the claims of bilateral knee disabilities and left ankle disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot gout and right foot gout, finding that there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and right foot gout as they are not related to the Veteran's military service or toxic exposures.
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