The Board has determined that the veteran's current eye disability, including refractive error and diplopia with associated convergence insufficiency, is not service-connected as it does not have its onset during service or due to a disease incurred in service. The medical evidence supports this conclusion.
The deciding factor: Medical opinions provided by VA contradict an earlier private opinion suggesting the condition was present at service entry, and indicate that the current eye disability is more likely related to aging rather than military service.
- Claimed conditions
- refractive error of the eyes, diplopia with associated convergence insufficiency
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2003
- Citation
- 0302408
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,377 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0302408.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for vision problems, including glaucoma, cataracts, and refractive error of the eyes. The case is being returned to VA for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered the Veteran to be examined for his eye disabilities and acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety. The examinations were not conducted as per the October 2022 remand directive.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral eye disability and refractive error of the eyes, finding no evidence to support a relationship between these conditions and active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA spine examination and for obtaining updated treatment records. The Veteran is scheduled for an examination to determine if his lumbosacral spine disability is related to active service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.