The Board has remanded the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and special monthly compensation (SMC) based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status due to incomplete records and the need for a medical opinion regarding the cause of the loss of vision in the left eye.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded because there is an incomplete record and a need for a medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's loss of vision in the left eye.
- Claimed conditions
- Loss of vision in the left eye
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20029268
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 20029268.
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 claims for service connection for bilateral cataracts and compensation for loss of vision in the left eye pursuant to 38 U.S.C. §1151 are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's loss of vision in his left eye is considered a qualifying additional disability under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, or error in judgment by VA medical staff during the cataract surgery on September 13, 2006.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is being remanded to obtain additional evidence and a new medical opinion.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's loss of vision in his left eye was not caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or error. The event (endophthalmitis and retinal tears) was reasonably foreseeable.
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