The Board found that the Veteran's additional left eye disability and vision loss were not caused by VA care, treatment, or examination. The preponderance of evidence indicated that the Veteran's condition was due to his own negligence in seeking medical attention.
The deciding factor: VA determined that the Veteran's delay in seeking medical care after developing vision loss contributed to his worsening left eye disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye disability, vision loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 25, 2017
- Citation
- 1718334
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 1718334.
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.
- 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 Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right groin pain, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest residuals, left kidney disease, stroke residuals, vertigo, and vision loss. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred in or are otherwise related to service.,The Board found no credible evidence showing the Veteran experienced any of these conditions during his active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's residuals of right eye injury, finding that his current disability began in service and is related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating greater than 20 percent for hypertension is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right leg disability, lung damage, dementia, Parkinson's disease, sleep apnea, kidney disease, diabetes, and vision loss are all denied.,Service connection was not granted for any of the conditions listed.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.