The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a left eye condition due to incomplete records and conflicting evidence regarding the in-service bee sting incident. The Veteran's lay statements are considered credible, but the VA examiner ignored these statements and focused on the absence of medical evidence between separation from service and his July 2014 VA treatment records.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s left eye condition may be related to an in-service bee sting incident, but the VA examiner's opinion was based on incomplete records and ignored the Veteran's consistent lay statements regarding his symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye condition, including loss of visual field and ischemic optic atrophy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20066498
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, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating higher than 50 percent for persistent depressive disorder and remanded the claims for service connection for a left eye condition and headaches.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings for various conditions, including left eye condition, right eye condition, hypertension, left knee, right knee, obstructive sleep apnea, and coronary artery disease (CAD), as well as denied an earlier effective date for CAD.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia, migraines, neuropsychological signs or symptoms, and a respiratory condition. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep disorder, lumbar spine disability, bilateral eye conditions, gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure, and left below knee amputation were remanded.
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