The Board has ordered remand for additional development regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral cataracts and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his bilateral primary open angle glaucoma. The AOJ is to consider all evidence received since the February 2019 SSOC, including VA eye examinations and visual field testing conducted in February 2019 and April 2019.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cataracts may be related to his active duty service or could have been caused by his service-connected glaucoma. The AOJ is required to obtain an addendum opinion from a clinician regarding the relationship between the Veteran's cataracts and his glaucoma, as well as any aggravation of his cataracts due to his glaucoma.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral cataracts, bilateral primary open angle glaucoma
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19131992
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,272 · Granted: 31% (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 19131992.
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 Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular Aid and Attendance is granted as of April 25, 2024.,For diabetes mellitus, a rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed all appeals except for the claim of an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for left shoulder strain. The appeal concerning the other issues on appeal is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's eye disabilities, including bilateral cataracts, hypertensive retinopathy, hypermetropia, astigmatism, presbyopia, unspecified peripheral retinal degeneration, dry eye syndrome, presence of intraocular lens, old branch retinal vein occlusion, and bilateral pinguecula.
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