Glaucoma decisions — 2009

The Board found that the Veteran's glaucomatous optic nerve atrophy was not caused by VA medical treatment, and denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss and glaucoma of the right eye was denied. The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, kidney failure, and glaucoma as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's PTSD disability rating was increased from 10 percent to 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection for all issues is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right eye glaucoma is being remanded due to the need for additional information and medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for primary open angle glaucoma, finding that there was no evidence of an eye disability in service or for years thereafter and that it is not etiologically related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and glaucoma, finding that there was no evidence of in-service exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides. The diabetes claim is denied as it did not manifest within one year after separation from service and is unrelated to any injury or disease during service. As a result, the secondary claim for glaucoma also cannot be granted.

The Veteran's aphakia right eye with blindness and glaucoma results in uncorrected vision of light perception only, corrected far and near vision of 20/80. The rating assigned for his right eye disability is 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include depression, cervical spine strain, traumatic injury to the lumbosacral spine with strain, post-traumatic right supraorbital neuropathy, and visual field defect of the right eye with glaucoma, have been rated based on their individual effects. The combined rating is 80 percent.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for all issues except gout, which received a 20% disability rating. The remaining conditions were either not granted or had their ratings denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for glaucoma of the left eye was denied as his visual acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Codes 6061 through 6079, and he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a video conference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board found that the Veteran's arthritis of the left hand and glaucoma of the left eye are not related to his military service or any exposure to ionizing radiation during service. As such, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining STRs and SSA records, and for a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected hypertension with hypertensive retinopathy.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals for all issues prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's current eye disorders, including primary open angle glaucoma and status post cataract removal, are not shown to be causally related to his active service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral glaucoma is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on current visual acuity and field of vision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for glaucoma was reopened and granted, but he is still denied higher ratings for his service-connected degenerative joint diseases of the feet. The Board found that there is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's glaucoma is related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to procedural issues and the need for additional evidence. The claim will be reconsidered with all new information added to the record, including medical records from October 2006 and May 2008.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for glaucoma and hypertension as there is no competent evidence associating these disabilities to his active military duty.