The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinions are inadequate and remands the case for an addendum opinion to address whether the Veteran’s eye disability, including glaucoma and macular retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) changes, is related to his in-service duties as a welder without adequate eye protection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinions are insufficient due to lack of supporting rationale for their conclusions regarding the relationship between the Veteran’s eye disability and service.
- Claimed conditions
- glaucoma, macular retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20013851
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 20013851.
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.
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder, and for glaucoma. The evidence did not support a finding of current disability or a link to service.
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