The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing left eye blindness was not aggravated by his National Guard service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran had a congenital left eye condition prior to enlistment in the National Guard, which continued post-service without any increase in severity during active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- blindness in the left eye
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2012
- Citation
- 1213120
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 1213120.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding whether any current left eye disability is related to service, including a head injury during service. The Veteran's claims are being returned for further development.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's blindness in the left eye with right eye glaucoma and cataract is currently rated at 70 percent, but a higher rating of over 70 percent is being remanded for further evaluation.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 60 percent for diabetic nephropathy with hypertension and his TDIU prior to June 26, 2017 were both denied. The evidence did not show the severity of the Veteran’s condition met or approximated the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7541.
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