The Veteran's claim for service connection for an eye condition, including amblyopia and diplopia, is remanded due to the need for a new medical opinion regarding whether his pre-existing condition was aggravated by service or if the worsening was natural progression.
The deciding factor: A new medical opinion is needed to address whether there is clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's childhood eye condition was not aggravated by service and instead the documented worsening was due to the natural progression of the disease.
- Claimed conditions
- amblyopia, diplopia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20020878
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 20020878.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability, meeting the schedular criteria for a TDIU throughout the appeal period. However, conflicting work history makes it impossible to determine his employment status during the period on appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for diplopia was denied as the evidence did not support finding that his diplopia is constant or causes incapacitating episodes. The Board found that the Veteran's visual acuity and field loss were within normal limits, and thus, he does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under DC 6090.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 21, 2019, for a 20 percent disability rating for diplopia secondary to fracture of the left orbital floor.
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