The Board has determined that the VA examination provided was inadequate for rating purposes and remanded the case for further development, including a supplemental medical examination.
The deciding factor: The Board found the previous VA examination to be insufficient due to its failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports of gout flareups and their impact on his range of motion, as well as the ameliorative effects of his medications.
- Claimed conditions
- gout of the right knee, gout of the right second finger, gout of the right great toe and left foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2026
- Citation
- A26004310
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 A26004310.
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 denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gout of the right knee, left knee, right toes, left foot, and right wrist. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied the appeals for ratings in excess of 10 percent and 30 percent for various gout conditions affecting the right knee, left knee, left ankle, left hand, and left elbow. The claims were denied based on the evidence showing that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet or nearly approximate the criteria for higher ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a right knee disability to correct a duty to assist error, as the previous medical opinions are found inadequate.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the case to obtain additional VA examinations addressing the severity of the Veteran's gout in various joints.
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