The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral dry eye syndrome and first compartment extensor tendonitis of the right hand are remanded due to incomplete records, inadequate examination findings, and need for further development.
The deciding factor: Incomplete service personnel records and missing VA treatment records have been identified as potential sources of relevant information that could affect the evaluation of the Veteran's disabilities. The examinations provided were not adequate in addressing all aspects of the claims, particularly regarding the relationship between the service-connected conditions and any other diagnosed eye disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral dry eye syndrome, right eye pterygium, bilateral pinguecula
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2024
- Citation
- 24001721
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24001721.
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 Veteran's bilateral dry eye syndrome is rated at a 20 percent rating, but no higher. The disability requires treatment with artificial tears and meets the criteria for a bilateral disorder of the lacrimal apparatus under Diagnostic Code 6099-6025.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral dry eye syndrome, finding that there is not a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service. The evidence does not support a nexus to in-service exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate eye examination and new evidence received since the last decision.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral dry eye syndrome, finding that there is no medical evidence to support a link between his current condition and his active military service.
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