The Veteran's claim for service connection for gout secondary to service-connected malaria is granted. The claim for service connection for porphyria cutanea tarda is denied. Service connection for fatty liver disease due to exposure to herbicide agents and as secondary to service-connected malaria is granted, with a 30% disability rating effective date not provided. The Veteran's claim for service connection for status-post nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) is remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found the evidence in relative equipoise regarding whether malaria caused or aggravated gout.
- Claimed conditions
- gout, porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT), fatty liver disease, status-post nephrolithiasis (kidney stones)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20074610
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 20074610.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
- 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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