The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for an eye condition claimed as diabetic retinopathy, as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, for further development.
The deciding factor: There is conflicting evidence regarding the presence of diabetic retinopathy and whether it was caused or aggravated by the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus; therefore, a remand is necessary for an additional VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic retinopathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2009
- Citation
- 0901943
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 denied an effective date prior to April 11, 2013, for the award of service connection for diabetic retinopathy and grade 2+ anterior vacuoles due to a lack of evidence indicating an intent to apply for benefits or communication related to these conditions before that date.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetic retinopathy, chronic kidney disease, a heart disability, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, a colon disability, major depressive disorder, and diabetes mellitus, type 2. The claims for PTSD, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, type 2, and hypertension were denied.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during its pendency.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetic retinopathy as a secondary condition to the Veteran's service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.
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