The Board remands the claim for a new VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's eye disability was aggravated by his service-connected diabetes.
The deciding factor: The previous VA medical opinion did not adequately address the issue of aggravation, as required by Stegall v. West, 11 Vet. App. 268 (1998).
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral cataracts, bilateral pseudophakia, left eye chorioretinal scars
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2025
- Citation
- 25007458
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 service connection for eye conditions, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction and left eye retinopathy. However, it denied increased ratings for multiple peripheral neuropathies, hypertension, and status post tympanoplasty.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral cataracts, dry eye syndrome, allergic conjunctivitis, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and atrial fibrillation as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by an in-service event.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including a bilateral eye disability and cardiovascular conditions, based on the Veteran's in-service occupational exposures.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for dry eye syndrome, bilateral pseudophakia, and bilateral glaucoma based on a TERA during the Veteran's active duty.
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