The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current eye disabilities are aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran’s diabetes aggravated any of the currently diagnosed eye conditions and did not consider the Veteran's report of retinal laser surgery for leaking vessels due to the diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- nuclear sclerotic cataracts, vitreal syneresis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20006155
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for nuclear sclerotic cataracts and pseudophakia, finding that these conditions are proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes and hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
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