The Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied astigmatism and mental condition claims has been granted. However, the service connection for a mental condition remains denied.,Service connection for degenerative joint disease on the left side of the body is also denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran does not have PTSD or any other diagnosable mental disorder and thus cannot establish service connection for his claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- astigmatism, degenerative joint disease (emphasis on left side), mental condition
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2016
- Citation
- 1644003
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 1644003.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all the listed conditions in April 2024 and March 2025, thus dismissing the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for left leg scar, right leg scar, and scars on right arm due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's claims for astigmatism, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and other scars are not granted.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's legal blindness and related conditions are service-connected, as they were caused by her active duty for training (ACDUTRA) service from February 2010 to March 2010.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence, including testimony from a June 2024 Board hearing. The case will be readjudicated after obtaining a VA examination.
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