The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating greater than 10 percent for dry eye syndrome and pinguecula of both eyes is remanded due to the need for clarification on whether a purple conjunctival blood vessel in his left eye was aggravated by service-connected conditions, and for ensuring the most appropriate Diagnostic Code(s) are selected for rating his service-connected eye impairment.
The deciding factor: The decision is remanded because the VA examiner did not address all of the concerns raised by the Joint Motion and remanded by the Board regarding whether a purple conjunctival blood vessel in the Veteran's left eye was aggravated by dry eye syndrome or pinguecula, and for ensuring the most appropriate Diagnostic Code(s) are selected.
- Claimed conditions
- dry eye syndrome, pinguecula
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20064790
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left eye conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma and remanded the issue of service connection for an eye disability other than left eye conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma, to include dry eye syndrome and pinguecula.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for a mental health condition and denied service connection for an eye condition. The claims for autoimmune limbic encephalitis with non-paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (NPLE) with GAD65 antibodies and dystonia and dystonic tremor were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran has withdrawn the appeal for service connection and higher ratings, requesting to submit supplemental claims instead.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral cataracts, dry eye syndrome, allergic conjunctivitis, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and atrial fibrillation as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by an in-service event.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.