The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for macular degeneration, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, a neck condition to include curve in spine and loss of mobility, left arm condition to include loss of strength, and muscular degeneration. The claims are being remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence of current disability related to macular degeneration or other claimed conditions during service or thereafter.
- Claimed conditions
- macular degeneration, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, neck condition to include curve in spine and loss of mobility, left arm condition to include loss of strength, muscular degeneration
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19129761
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,170 · Granted: 38% (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 19129761.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.
- Denied
The Board has denied the claim for service connection for macular degeneration due to a finding of clear and unmistakable error in the AOJ's decision, as no new and relevant evidence was presented or secured with the supplemental claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various conditions, including allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, lower extremity radiculopathies, and left lower extremity radiculopathy with foot drop. The issues include determining if these conditions are related to service or other factors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for seizure disorder and macular degeneration due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ must obtain a TERA Memorandum and medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran was exposed to chemicals or solvents while stationed at Fort McClellan during his service, and if so, whether these exposures are related to his claimed conditions.
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