The Veteran's current legal blindness was not caused by or related to his service, including any exposure during a blizzard in Alaska. The VA examiner found the condition to be age-related and unrelated to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's bilateral blindness is due to an age-related disease (dry macular degeneration) and was not caused by or related to his reported in-service exposure to a blizzard.
- Claimed conditions
- Legal Blindness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2011
- Citation
- 1109602
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1109602.
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: Denied
The Board denied service connection for HIV and associated immune disorder, legal blindness secondary to HIV, and acquired mental disorder secondary to HIV. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions had onset in active service or were otherwise causally related.,The Board found no persuasive evidence linking the Veteran's current diagnoses of HIV, legal blindness, and acquired mental disorders to his active service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for HIV, legal blindness secondary to HIV, and an acquired mental disorder (including PTSD and depression) secondary to HIV due to additional development being required. The Veteran submitted medical literature suggesting he may have been HIV positive prior to separation from active service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD requires him to be in need of aid and attendance, which is granted as part of his SMC claim.
- Whole decision: 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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