The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a bilateral eye injury, refractive error, and bilateral eye cataracts due to lack of evidence showing any in-service injuries or superimposed diseases.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence linking any current conditions (residuals of an eye injury, refractive error, or bilateral eye cataracts) to service. The Veteran's separation examination showed normal visual field and ophthalmoscopy evaluation, and both VA examiners opined that the Veteran has no residuals of his in-service bilateral eye burn injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Refractive error, Bilateral eye cataracts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 4, 2016
- Citation
- 1618054
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 1618054.
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 Veteran's service connection claim for a bilateral eye disorder, including vision loss, is denied as refractive error of the eyes is not considered a disability for which service connection can be granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right eye disability, including a corneal abrasion from service and current conditions like refractive error, presbyopia, mild cataracts, and blepharitis, is being remanded for further evaluation. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its interdependence with the service connection issue.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's eye condition and his service-connected conditions, including vasovagal syndrome and atypical migraine headaches.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for refractive error as a bilateral eye condition due to insufficient medical opinions and failure to address the Veteran's lay contentions. The Veteran served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, but his current vision problems are not considered related to active service.
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