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
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for eye conditions, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction and left eye retinopathy. However, it denied increased ratings for multiple peripheral neuropathies, hypertension, and status post tympanoplasty.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral cataracts, dry eye syndrome, allergic conjunctivitis, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and atrial fibrillation as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by an in-service event.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including a bilateral eye disability and cardiovascular conditions, based on the Veteran's in-service occupational exposures.
- Partly granted
The Board readjudicated the claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis based on new and relevant evidence, while denying service connection for bilateral pes planus. Other claims were remanded.
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