The Board denied service connection for retinitis pigmentosa as there was no evidence of the condition manifesting during or being aggravated by active military service.
The deciding factor: There is no clear and unmistakable evidence that RP preexisted service, nor any evidence showing an increase in disability due to service. The veteran's best corrected visual acuity improved from his preinduction results to his separation examination results, and there was no competent medical evidence relating the current condition to active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Retinitis pigmentosa
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2009
- Citation
- 0902992
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,547 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0902992.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 60 percent for retinitis pigmentosa and for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for retinitis pigmentosa, finding that the condition first manifested during service and is related to the Veteran's detached retina of the right eye. The initial compensable rating for the bilateral eye disabilities remains denied.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for Retinitis pigmentosa due to new and material evidence submitted by the veteran. The case is now remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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