The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left eye disability, Sjogren’s syndrome, and thyroid disability due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions based on exposure to toluene, radiation, or environmental factors during her military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the previous opinions insufficient as they did not address whether any of the disabilities are related to service, including exposure to toluene, radiation, or environmental factors.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye disability, Sjogren’s syndrome, thyroid disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18152864
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 18152864.
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 remanded the case due to a failure to provide proper notice of the Veteran's right to a hearing before the AOJ, as required by regulatory and statutory duties.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, including failing to obtain SSA records and VA medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left eye disability is secondary to his service-connected hypertension.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his attorney, and the Board is dismissing the case.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a thyroid disability, including hypothyroidism and goiter, finding that it is related to herbicide exposure during active duty in Vietnam.
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