The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's gout of the right foot is related to service, including his in-service injury at Fort Drum. The rating for degenerative arthritis of the right great toe will also be remanded for a new examination to assess its severity.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to establish whether the Veteran’s current gout disability had onset during service or is otherwise related to his in-service injury, and thus remanded for further development. The rating for degenerative arthritis of the right great toe will also be remanded as the VA examiner did not differentiate between the symptoms of arthritis and gout.
- Claimed conditions
- gout of the right foot, degenerative arthritis of the right great toe
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21002016
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 21002016.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for gout of the bilateral feet, hands, and wrists based on a nexus to the Veteran's service-connected migraine conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical myelopathy with right upper extremity weakness, chronic kidney disease stage III, gout of the right foot, hip joint replacements, and umbilical hernia. The claims for left rotator cuff tear, sleep apnea, and tinnitus were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for gout of the hands and feet due to the submission of new evidence after the June 2010 denial.,VA is required to grant an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for OSA, but the Veteran's claim was not filed within one year prior to September 15, 2020.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for skin cancer, but the issues of left foot disability (gout), right foot disability (gout), bilateral leg disability, dry eyes disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, and hearing loss remain remanded due to conflicting medical opinions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.