The Veteran's appeals for service connection were remanded due to insufficient evidence in some cases, and his foot disability was found to be moderately severe. The pinguecula did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. His mood disorder was rated as 30 percent disabling.
The deciding factor: The appeal is primarily about reopening previously denied claims, which does not involve service connection per se but rather the evaluation of existing conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- torn ligaments, left foot, second toe, pinguecula
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19141872
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,861 · Granted: 27% (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 19141872.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the claims as there was no valid appeal to review.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected eye disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation. The knee and psychiatric claims are remanded due to procedural errors.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for dry eye syndrome as proximately due to his service-connected tinnitus. The claims for cataracts, primary open-angle glaucoma, pinguecula, and corneal arcus are denied. The urticaria claim is remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an eye disability, including conjunctivitis and other diagnosed conditions such as refractive amblyopia, Meibomian gland dysfunction, cataracts, epiphora, left myopic macular degeneration, and pinguecula. The AOJ is instructed to obtain etiology opinions regarding the Veteran's diagnosed eye disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.