The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right eye disability, including open angle glaucoma and blindness, and exposure to tear gas during basic training. The VA examiner did not adequately address the Veteran's provided medical literature.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to acknowledge or address the medical literature submitted by the Veteran in rendering the June 2023 opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- right eye disability, open angle glaucoma, blindness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2024
- Citation
- 24003055
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · 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 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
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