The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for an eye disability is granted. The Board has also remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an independent medical expert opinion and arranging for any other necessary examination.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on new evidence received since the March 2008 Board decision that included assertions of a secondary service connection theory related to the Veteran's eye disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral retinal detachment, bilateral epiretinal membrane, bilateral dry eyes, bilateral pseudophakia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19123422
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,506 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19123422.
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 Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected eye disabilities and entitlement to TDIU prior to November 5, 2012 due to inadequate opinions regarding the severity of his conditions over time.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral diabetic retinopathy with bilateral pseudophakia and epiretinal membrane is rated at 20 percent effective September 10, 2021. The appeal for a separate rating prior to this date and service connection for pancreatitis are remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for dry eye syndrome, bilateral pseudophakia, and bilateral glaucoma based on a TERA during the Veteran's active duty.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 50 percent for migraines and remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral dry eyes and rectal bleeding due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
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