The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for rheumatoid arthritis of multiple joints, including hands, knees, elbows, feet, and shoulders, due to herbicide exposure. The case requires an addendum opinion from a medical professional to address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the May 2017 VA examiner did not adequately address the Veteran's specific contention regarding his rheumatoid arthritis being related to his acknowledged Agent Orange exposure, and thus requires additional development with an addendum opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- right hand rheumatoid arthritis, left hand rheumatoid arthritis, right knee rheumatoid arthritis, left knee rheumatoid arthritis, right elbow rheumatoid arthritis, left elbow rheumatoid arthritis, right foot rheumatoid arthritis, left foot rheumatoid arthritis, right shoulder rheumatoid arthritis, left shoulder rheumatoid arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2024
- Citation
- A24020270
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 A24020270.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the service connection for right knee rheumatoid arthritis and increased ratings for related conditions. The Board dismissed the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder hydroxyapatite deposition with degenerative arthritis and left knee rheumatoid arthritis, finding that these conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder and right knee disabilities, respectively.
- Dismissed
Your service connection for painful scar, left shoulder and left shoulder status post Bankart/SLAP repair has been granted. The effective date is April 3, 2018.
- Dismissed
The Veteran passed away before the Board could make a decision on her service connection claims for rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome. Her appeal is dismissed due to her death.
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.