The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral eye disorder characterized as bilateral macular degeneration. The issue will now be further developed to determine if there is sufficient evidence to establish service connection.
The deciding factor: New medical evidence, including opinions from VA doctors, suggests that the veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral macular degeneration may have been aggravated by an in-service condition (likely German measles), which could potentially relate to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Macular Degeneration
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2003
- Citation
- 0312715
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 0312715.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 determined that the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) incorrectly concluded that the Veteran does not require personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months based on her disability conditions. The CEAT review overlooked evidence indicating she may need supervision or protection due to neurological impairments, as well as regular or extensive instruction or supervision due to her eye condition and lumbar spine condition. As such, the Board has ordered a new medical opinion to determine if personal care services are required for a minimum of six continuous months.
- Denied
The rating for bilateral macular degeneration was reduced from 100% to 0%, effective February 1, 1972, due to fraud. The reduction and discontinuance of benefits were upheld.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for bilateral macular degeneration was granted, with an effective date of September 26, 2019. The current rating is 70 percent for the period from June 22, 2015 onwards.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, and bilateral macular degeneration due to new evidence and need for further examination.
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