The Board found that new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral macular degeneration. However, the Board also denied the claim on the merits. The appeal is remanded due to issues with notification under the VCAA.
The deciding factor: The appellant's claim of receiving new and material evidence to reopen his service connection claim was granted by the Board, but the underlying claim for service connection itself was denied on its merits.
- 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
- October 4, 2004
- Citation
- 0427411
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 0427411.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 case due to inconsistencies in a previous VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral macular degeneration pre-existed service and was aggravated by military service. The case is now pending further clarification from an appropriate medical professional.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) for his service-connected bilateral focal chorioretinitis, bilateral optic neuritis, peripheral retinal degeneration, bilateral macular degeneration, and bilateral optic neuropathy, as well as PTSD with unspecified neurocognitive disorder and TBI.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for eye disability, including bilateral exotropia, macular degeneration, cataracts, dry eye syndrome, and pinguecula, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were caused by or related to the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral macular degeneration and photophobia as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.
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