The Board remands the claim for service connection for keratoconus to cure pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
The deciding factor: The examiner's opinion was found inadequate as it did not specify whether the congenital condition was a defect or disease and did not consider whether it worsened beyond its normal progression as a result of service, necessitating another opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- keratoconus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25029644
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for keratoconus, as the evidence did not support a rating higher than 40 percent.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for keratoconus was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the notice of disagreement.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for keratoconus, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran and finding that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service environmental exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an additional VA examination to address whether the Veteran's eye condition was due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or a similar instance of fault on the part of VA.
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