The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and was not exposed to herbicides, thus denying service connection for his right eye disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records do not show he served in Vietnam or on the inland waterways of Vietnam. The VA determined there was insufficient evidence to confirm any exposure to herbicides during his service in Thailand and Korea.
- Claimed conditions
- right eye disability, blindness, severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, chronic macular edema, ocular hypertension, decreased acuity, pseudophakia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 3, 2017
- Citation
- 1714551
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 1714551.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, including failing to obtain SSA records and VA medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left eye disability is secondary to his service-connected hypertension.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation, as they do not qualify for permanent and total disability due to loss of use of extremities or anatomical regions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral eye condition, which is presumed to be related to service. The Veteran seeks service connection for glaucoma and pseudophakia, but the VA examiners' opinions are deemed inadequate.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an eye condition, including nonexudative age-related macular degeneration and pseudophakia, due to exposure to environmental toxins during his military service.
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