The Veteran's bilateral macular degeneration with cataracts was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: There is no credible evidence showing that the Veteran's age-related macular degeneration and cataracts were caused by exposure to ionizing radiation during his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral macular degeneration, cataracts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2010
- Citation
- 1000238
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 1000238.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cataracts, finding that there was no medical evidence linking the condition to his active service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for special monthly pension (SMP) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is remanded to ensure that the appellant receives every possible consideration, including a new VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service connection for hypertension was granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand, while the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, chronic sinusitis, and other conditions were denied or remanded.
- 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.
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