The Board has remanded the case for further development, including adjudicating a claim of service connection for a right eye disability. The other issues on appeal will be re-adjudicated after this development is completed.
The deciding factor: Further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's right eye disability is service-connected and whether he was rated totally disabling for 10 or more years prior to his death, which would affect his eligibility for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye macular degeneration, right eye disability (macular degeneration)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19185993
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right eye disorder and service connection for left eye macular degeneration, to include as secondary to his right eye disorder, are intertwined. Therefore, the RO must adjudicate these issues before addressing the issue of a higher rating for his right eye disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for left eye macular dysplasia and degeneration, finding that new evidence did not establish a link to his military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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