The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to his July and February 2015 eye surgeries is remanded for additional development, including obtaining independent medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The decision was not about service connection but rather a request for compensation under the 38 U.S.C. § 1151 statute following VA eye surgeries.
- Claimed conditions
- Blindness, Additional loss of vision
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20025468
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20025468.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the Veteran's blindness, finding that it was a reasonably foreseeable complication of his VA heart surgery. The claim for service connection for peripheral artery disease was remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of December 9, 2019 for the award of special monthly death pension benefits based on the need for regular aid and attendance for the surviving spouse. The decision is based on the appellant's intent to file a claim for survivor benefits at that time.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for blindness due to optic neuritis of the right eye, finding that VA did not cause the disability and that there was no evidence of fault on VA's part.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's left eye condition, which includes optic atrophy, chorioretinal laser scars, and blindness, has resulted in visual acuity of 5/200 or worse. The Board found that the current rating of 30 percent is appropriate given her symptoms.
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