The Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, wrist, and hip pain due to gout are being remanded due to errors in VA's duty to assist and statutory duties under the PACT Act. The AOJ will be directed to obtain VA treatment records from the Augusta Healthcare System and provide proper notice regarding the unavailability of prior Columbia, South Carolina Healthcare System records. A VA examination for joint pain due to gout is also required.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims are remanded due to errors in VA's duty to assist and statutory duties under the PACT Act, including the need to obtain VA treatment records from the Augusta Healthcare System and provide proper notice regarding unavailability of prior Columbia, South Carolina Healthcare System records. A VA examination for joint pain due to gout is also required.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder pain due to gout, right wrist pain due to gout, right hip pain due to gout
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2026
- Citation
- A26003551
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 A26003551.
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.
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