The Veteran's blindness in both eyes is being remanded for a supplemental opinion to determine if the condition resulted from carelessness, negligence, or error on the part of VA.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the July 2018 opinion was insufficient and requires a new opinion to address the issues raised by the Veteran's claim.
- Claimed conditions
- blindness in both eyes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20008254
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted entitlement to Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on blindness in both eyes and remanded the issue of service connection for sarcoidosis due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disabilities resulting from treatment at a VA facility, finding that there was no evidence of additional disability proximately caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.
- 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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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.