The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and considering whether staged ratings are appropriate.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has provided new evidence of increased severity of his service-connected eye disability since his last VA examination. A more contemporaneous VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the disability.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic retinopathy with cataracts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2011
- Citation
- 1141245
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 1141245.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 11, 2013.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, and TIA residuals due to new evidence showing worsening of his conditions. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it raises a question of whether the Veteran is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused him to be in need of personal assistance from others, and the Board has determined that he qualifies for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral diabetic retinopathy with cataracts was denied, and his claim for a TDIU due to this condition was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating or a TDIU based on the service-connected disability alone.
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