The Board has granted reopening of the claim for service connection for bilateral cataracts and determined that the veteran's cataracts increased in severity during service, granting service connection based on aggravation.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner could not form an opinion as to whether the progression of cataracts was due to natural progress or environmental causes such as exposure to agents, radiation, or health conditions. The Board determined that the veteran's visual acuity reported at discharge may have been inaccurate and concluded that the increase in severity during service was likely due to aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Cataracts
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2005
- Citation
- 0523843
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 0523843.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings for his service-connected conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder and remanded claims for service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension, headaches, bilateral cataracts, and left hand osteoarthritis as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.
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