The Board has decided to remand the case due to a procedural error in evaluating new evidence, and will need to use the correct legal standard under the AMA framework.
The deciding factor: The AOJ used the wrong legal standard (new and material) instead of the correct one (new and relevant) for evaluating the claim within the AMA framework.
- Claimed conditions
- decreased vision
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2020
- Citation
- A20018968
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 A20018968.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for glaucoma and decreased vision, finding that there was not sufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left eye injury and subsequent complications are being remanded for further examination to determine if the VA treatment was a proximate cause of his additional disability, including decreased vision, cataracts, uveitis, and glaucoma.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded the claim for decreased vision due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical opinions and a need for further development, including obtaining additional records from healthcare providers.
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