The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional error in VA's duty to assist, specifically regarding an inadequate medical opinion on whether the Veteran's eye/vision problems are related to her active service. The claim will be returned for further development and consideration.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's eye/vision problems are directly related to her in-service exposures or a presumptive disease due to burn pit exposure, as the previous VA opinion was inadequate.
- Claimed conditions
- primary open angle glaucoma, bilateral constricted visual fields
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2022
- Citation
- A22020785
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 A22020785.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including a bilateral eye disability and cardiovascular conditions, based on the Veteran's in-service occupational exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a left eye condition, including primary open angle glaucoma and optic nerve atrophy, to obtain private medical records from Dr. Laquis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a secondary service connection analysis of primary open angle glaucoma due to hypertension, specifically requesting an opinion on aggravation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an eye disability, but the claims of entitlement to increased ratings for left knee osteoarthritis and total right knee arthroplasty, status post femur fracture, and TDIU are remanded due to procedural errors.
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