The Veteran's gout symptoms in all fingers on both hands are rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is warranted due to additional functional loss during flare-ups and with repetitive use.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide sufficient information for the Board to draw an estimate of additional loss of range of motion during a flare-up and with repeated use over time without resorting to speculation.
- Claimed conditions
- gout, left hand, index finger, gout, left hand, long finger, gout, left hand, thumb, gout, right hand, index finger, gout, right hand, long finger, gout, right hand, thumb, gout, left hand, ring finger, gout, left hand, little finger, gout, right hand, ring finger, gout, right hand, little finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2024
- Citation
- 24002338
Veterans Law Judge
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 24002338.
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
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- Granted
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