The Board has determined that additional examinations and opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, left foot and hypertension. The issues of increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine; osteoarthritis of the right hip with painful limitation of extension; osteoarthritis of the left hip with limitation of flexion of the thigh; and osteoarthritis of the left hip with impairment of the thigh are also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that additional evidence is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed gout, left foot and hypertension, as well as the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- gout, left foot, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23038294
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 23038294.
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 remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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