The Board found that the veteran does not have additional disability associated with blindness of the left eye that was caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of skill, or errors in judgment, or similar instances of fault on the part of VA, or that was caused by an unforeseen event.
The deciding factor: The May 2007 VA examiner opined that the veteran's visual acuity had stabilized at 20/60 following the laser surgery, and that the loss of visual acuity would have progressed even faster without VA treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- blindness of the left eye
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2009
- Citation
- 0900598
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,977 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0900598.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: Partly granted
The appeal for service connection of blindness was dismissed. The appeals for hypertension, diabetes rating, and TDIU were remanded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for open angle glaucoma and blindness of the left eye is granted. The case is also remanded to attempt verification of in-service exposure to chemicals, including tear gas, during basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri from November 1979 to April 1980. If confirmed, a new medical opinion will be obtained regarding whether open angle glaucoma and blindness were caused by such exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disability and blindness of the left eye, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and active service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his claim for service connection for blindness of the left eye, and the Board has dismissed this appeal.
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.