The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's keratoconus pre-existed service or was incurred during service. The VA examiner needs to provide a detailed rationale and consider all raised theories of entitlement.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to provide a sufficiently detailed rationale in their previous opinions, leading to internal inconsistencies and inadequate consideration of all raised theories of entitlement.
- Claimed conditions
- keratoconus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20000056
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,432 · Granted: 29% (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 20000056.
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The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the initial compensable disability rating for keratoconus and the initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for migraine headaches.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety was denied as the evidence did not support a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder.,The Veteran's claim for increased rating for depression was denied because his symptoms were consistent with those already covered by his existing service-connected disability.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for keratoconus, depression, and sleep apnea have been readjudicated. The claim of service connection for keratoconus is granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression and sleep apnea are remanded to the AOJ for further review.
- Granted
The Veteran's keratoconus is granted service connection due to in-service exposure to sand and dust. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is remanded for further review.
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.