The Board finds that the Veteran's left eye cataract and epiretinal membrane are not directly related to his service, nor can they be considered secondary to a service-connected condition. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's current left eye conditions are not caused by or have been aggravated by his service-connected right eye disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Eye Cataract, Epiretinal Membrane
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- January 26, 2017
- Citation
- 1702126
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 1702126.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial disability rating of 60 percent for the Veteran's left eye CRVO, effective from the date of the July 2024 decision on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various knee and ankle disabilities, as well as left eye cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. The Veteran's claims are being returned for further development due to the need to obtain additional medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for PTSD with TBI and AUD prior to June 16, 2021 is denied. The case is remanded for additional development regarding the service connection claim for epiretinal membrane.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial disability rating for diabetic retinopathy with epiretinal membrane, posterior vitreous detachment with diplopia has been granted at a 20 percent level since June 29, 2017.
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