The Veteran's left dry eye syndrome is remanded due to a duty to assist error and the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding its relationship to service, including exposure to burn pits in Southwest Asia.
The deciding factor: An addendum medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's left dry eye syndrome was aggravated by his toxic exposure risk activities during service, such as exposure to fine particulate matter and burn pits in the Persian Gulf.
- Claimed conditions
- left dry eye syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 28, 2024
- Citation
- A24050901
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 A24050901.
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 service connection for right and left dry eye syndrome, as well as glaucoma in both eyes, are being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran reported that his VA examination was cancelled because the examiner tested positive for COVID-19.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, dry eye syndrome, low back disability, right hand disabilities, and right knee disability. The tinnitus claim was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims due to errors in obtaining necessary evidence and for further development.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for bilateral hearing loss, left and right dry eye syndrome, recurrent acute sinusitis, retina deposits (right eye), left foot plantar fasciitis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's service connection claims for these conditions are granted.
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