The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination and opinion to determine if the Veteran's right eye disability is related to his service, including an incident during basic training where he was hit in the eye while firing an M-16 rifle.
The deciding factor: The Court directed a remand due to the VA examiner’s speculative statement regarding the Veteran's claimed incident during active service.
- Claimed conditions
- sub-macular cysts of the right eye, macular degeneration, cataracts, dermatoheliosis of the right upper eyelid
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069681
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 service connection for glaucoma and macular degeneration, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cataracts, finding that there was no medical evidence linking the condition to his active service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for special monthly pension (SMP) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is remanded to ensure that the appellant receives every possible consideration, including a new VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left eye disorder, including amblyopia and other conditions, as there was no evidence of aggravation beyond their natural progression during the Veteran's periods of active duty.
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