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.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not address all theories of service connection (secondary to obesity) or provide a clear opinion on whether the Veteran's disabilities were caused by his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- gout of the right knee, gout of the left knee, gout of the right toes, gout of the left foot, gout of the right wrist
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26015659
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 A26015659.
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 Veteran's gout of the left foot is being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, specifically pes planus and/or left ankle strain.
- Remanded (sent back)
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for gout of the bilateral feet, hands, and wrists based on a nexus to the Veteran's service-connected migraine conditions.
- 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.
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