The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's right eye condition. The AOJ is required to obtain all relevant medical records, including informed consents, and provide an adequate opinion on whether the Veteran's right eye disability was caused or aggravated by his VA treatment.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the AOJ did not substantially comply with previous remand directives regarding obtaining VA treatment records and associated documents such as informed consents. Additionally, the opinions provided were deemed inadequate due to an inaccurate factual premise and failure to consider the Veteran's prior medical history.
- Claimed conditions
- Right eye condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2021
- Citation
- 21002847
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 21002847.
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 Board has decided to remand the case due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including a lack of VA treatment records and an inadequate medical opinion. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with all available evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right eye condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression. The decision found that there was no evidence of aggravation of pre-existing conditions during service and that the Veteran did not have a current psychiatric condition at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 40 percent, and the Board has found that a higher rating is not warranted. The right eye condition issue is remanded for further examination and opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, chronic kidney disease secondary to hypertension, constipation secondary to hypertension medication, and a right eye condition due to service in Southwest Asia. The claims are being remanded for additional examinations and opinions.
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