The Board has remanded the case due to the AOJ's failure to comply with prior instructions, and a new VA ophthalmological examination is needed to determine if any diagnosed bilateral eye conditions are related to service or toxic herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The examiner did not address whether any superimposed injury or disease resulted in additional eye disability over and above congenital/developmental conditions, nor provided a rationale for the conclusion that these conditions were due to the normal aging process.
- Claimed conditions
- dermatochalasis, cataracts, macular drusen, epiretinal membrane, blepharitis, posterior vitreous detachment, anisometropia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 17, 2022
- Citation
- 22035413
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 22035413.
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 Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss claims are denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran's high cholesterol, dementia, stroke, prostate cancer, cataracts, diabetes, hypertension, CHF, and myocardial infarction claims are denied due to lack of service connection evidence or insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the disabilities and active duty service.,The Veteran was exposed to toxins during his military service but there is no evidence linking these exposures to any of the claimed conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection of cataracts has been dismissed due to the appellant's death prior to a Board decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye condition should be remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and the need for an updated TERA Memorandum. The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination, and her allegations of exposure during basic training were not addressed.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals.
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