The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an ophthalmologist's opinion and for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA needs to obtain an addendum opinion from another qualified ophthalmologist regarding the nature and etiology of the claimed eye disability.
- Claimed conditions
- eye disorder (other than a left pterygium), refractive error
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20074092
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 an eye disorder, including refractive error, as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his active service.
- Granted
The veteran's claim for service connection of a vision disability, including glaucoma, astigmatism, refractive error, and presbyopia, is granted. The Board found that the onset of these conditions was during active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for a vision disability, as additional development is needed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an eye disability to schedule a new VA examination and obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed conditions, including whether they are related to service or secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.
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.