The Board remands the claim for a right eye disability, to include open angle glaucoma and blindness, for further development of evidence related to exposure to tear gas during basic training.
The deciding factor: The June 2023 medical opinion was found inadequate due to its failure to address contradictory aspects of cited medical literature and the Veteran's submitted articles.
- Claimed conditions
- open angle glaucoma, blindness
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2024
- Citation
- 24003055
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the request to readjudicate the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, but denied the claim itself.
- 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.
- Denied
The appeal for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for open angle glaucoma, retinal detachment, and cataract (eye disability) was denied as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were caused by VA's carelessness or negligence.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
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