The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for astigmatism and exotropia to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of his diagnosed eye conditions.
The deciding factor: A pre-decisional duty to assist error was made as no VA medical opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral eye condition was provided, and an examination is required based on the evidence of record at the time of the decision on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- astigmatism, exotropia
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2024
- Citation
- A24068036
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.
- Dismissed
The veteran's requests to switch dockets and appeals for service connection were denied as untimely, with no good cause shown.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including knee and back pain, exotropia, GERD, and hemorrhoids, due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for vertigo, migraine, and tinnitus but denied it for an eye disability, left knee arthritis, nerve damage post removal of wisdom tooth, right arm arthritis, and right knee arthritis.
- Dismissed
The veteran has withdrawn the appeal for service connection and increased rating claims.
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