The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral eye disorder, including optic atrophy with horizontal nystagmus, claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure. The VA will now proceed to evaluate the merits of this claim.
The deciding factor: The submitted evidence is sufficient to reopen the veteran's claim based on new and material evidence related to his service connection for a bilateral eye disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- optic atrophy, horizontal nystagmus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 29, 2003
- Citation
- 0318078
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0318078.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for a disability of the eyes, other than bilateral photophobia, as there was no evidence to support a nexus between the Veteran's eye conditions and his military service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a bilateral eye disorder was withdrawn by the Veteran and is therefore dismissed.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an eye disability, including blurry vision, optic atrophy, retinal artery occlusion, and retinal vascular occlusion as secondary to her service-connected Multiple Sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral eye disability other than photophobia, specifically whether it is due to an injury superimposed on his existing refractive error.
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