The Board denied entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for gastrointestinal problems and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the back. The claims for other conditions were remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, and there was no adequate medical opinion addressing additional loss of function during flares or repetitive use for the right ankle sprain. Other claims were remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors in obtaining inadequate examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- gastrointestinal problems, rheumatoid arthritis of the back, right ankle sprain, left knee disability, right knee disability, neck and shoulder disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis/pes planus, hypertension, osteoarthritis of the bilateral feet/osteoarthritis right toe fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25043228
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 845 · Granted: 39% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 A25043228.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
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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.
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