The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left eye disability was previously denied in 1973. New evidence has been submitted, and the claim is now reopened. The case is being remanded to obtain an examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the left eye condition.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been introduced that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left eye disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye disability, malignant melanoma of the left iris
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005811
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,092 · Granted: 42% (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 20005811.
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 decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, including failing to obtain SSA records and VA medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left eye disability is secondary to his service-connected hypertension.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his attorney, and the Board is dismissing the case.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered remand for the previously denied claims of service connection for left eye, right eye, and lumbar spine disabilities due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left eye disability and a headache disability (claimed as TBI) due to the lack of evidence showing current disabilities during the appeal period.
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