The Board has ordered a remand for an addendum VA opinion to address the etiology of any left eye disability, including glaucoma, decreased visual acuity, and hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium. The Veteran's reports of diplopia since his in-service surgery are also to be considered.
The deciding factor: The remand is ordered due to incomplete discussion of the Veteran's lay statements regarding symptoms following his in-service left eye injury or surgery.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye disability, glaucoma, decreased visual acuity, hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium, diplopia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21031438
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 21031438.
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.
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The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability, meeting the schedular criteria for a TDIU throughout the appeal period. However, conflicting work history makes it impossible to determine his employment status during the period on appeal.
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The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, including failing to obtain SSA records and VA medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left eye disability is secondary to his service-connected hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for further review of the evidence. The Board is unable to determine if there was a factual increase in disability prior to the effective dates requested, or if service connection should be granted based on the current evidence.
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