The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for open angle glaucoma and blindness of the left eye is granted. The case is also remanded to attempt verification of in-service exposure to chemicals, including tear gas, during basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri from November 1979 to April 1980. If confirmed, a new medical opinion will be obtained regarding whether open angle glaucoma and blindness were caused by such exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service connection claim for the right eye disability is remanded due to the need to verify in-service exposure to chemicals during training.
- Claimed conditions
- open angle glaucoma, blindness of the left eye
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2023
- Citation
- 23017318
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 23017318.
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 Veteran's claims for increased ratings and SMC have been remanded due to regulatory changes affecting the rating of eyes on May 13, 2018. The AOJ is instructed to consider both old and new criteria for rating eye disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected open angle glaucoma is granted. The claim for an increased rating for COPD remains denied, as the severity of his condition does not warrant a higher than 30 percent rating. The Veteran's hypertension is now rated at 10 percent, but no higher.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating higher than 30 percent for the Veteran's uveitis with open angle glaucoma and aphakia of the left eye, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 40 percent disability rating for bilateral eye disabilities but denied ratings for abdominal scars, hypertension, and remanded claims related to thrombosis and arthritis.
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