The Board has determined that the Veteran's right eye disability and back disorder are not related to service, with clear and unmistakable evidence showing that a preexisting right eye condition existed prior to service. The Board also found no aggravation of the preexisting right eye condition during service. For the back disorder, there is no direct evidence linking it to service or any other compensable disease or injury. There is also no secondary service connection as the Veteran's current back disability did not manifest within one year of separation from service and arthritis was not shown within a presumptive period.
The deciding factor: The preexisting right eye condition, which included a blind spot noted at entry into service, was not aggravated by service. The August 2016 VA examiner found no evidence of worsening or aggravation of the Veteran's vision acuity during service and concluded that his current right eye disabilities were not caused by or aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Eye Disability, Back Disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2017
- Citation
- 1705603
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 1705603.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for a right eye disability and traumatic brain injury are being remanded due to the need to provide notice of the opportunity for a hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right eye, left eye, left knee, and back disabilities due to conflicting statements from the Veteran and inconsistencies in his medical records.
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