The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for tinnitus has been denied as the condition is not shown to have been so exceptional or unusual as to render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for gouty arthritis of his knees, ankles, and feet are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.
The deciding factor: The rating assigned for tinnitus accurately reflects the degree of impairment based on the evidence of record. The Veteran has not asserted or raised any exceptional circumstances that would render the schedular rating criteria inadequate.,The VA examinations did not comply with current legal requirements, specifically regarding flare-ups and functional loss during flares. Therefore, new examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the gouty arthritis conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, gouty arthritis, right knee, gouty arthritis, left knee, gouty arthritis, right ankle, gouty arthritis, left ankle, gouty arthritis, left foot, gouty arthritis, right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2023
- Citation
- 23066377
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 23066377.
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 hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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