The Veteran's left eye cataracts are being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if they are related to service-connected diabetes mellitus or any in-service exposure.
The deciding factor: An updated VA eye examination is needed to clarify the nature of the Veteran's left eye disability and its relationship to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye cataracts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19164365
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 19164365.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his service-connected right eye pseudophakia with stage I macular hole and left eye cataracts, maintaining the 40 percent evaluation.
- Denied
The Veteran's right eye myogenic ptosis and left eye cataracts are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected condition.,Service connection for the Veteran’s mild superior temporal field distortion with myogenic ptosis of the left eye is also denied, as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in a previous VA medical opinion and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's left eye cataracts and ocular hypertension are being reviewed for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's additional left eye disability, including vision loss, was caused by carelessness or negligence on the part of VA during his surgeries in August, September, and October 2008. The Board has determined that this meets the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.
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