The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right eye disability was denied in October and November 1985. The next claim for service connection was filed on July 21, 2010. The Board finds that the effective date of July 21, 2010 is proper as there were no additional relevant records associated with the claims file at the time of the earlier denials.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim was denied in 1985 due to lack of evidence of service connection. The next claim for service connection was filed after all relevant service records had been considered, and there were no additional records that would have supported a different outcome.
- Claimed conditions
- right eye aphakia, postoperative cataract removal
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2017
- Citation
- 1726340
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 1726340.
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 Veteran's right eye aphakia has resulted in complete blindness, and he is now entitled to a 40 percent rating for this condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left eye cataract and granted an increased rating of 40 percent for right eye aphakia, but did not grant SMC based on blindness of the right eye.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right eye aphakia and postoperative cataract removal, finding that the decision was final due to lack of appeal or new and material evidence within one year. The Veteran's next claim for service connection was filed on July 21, 2010.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA eye examination and the obtaining of any outstanding VA treatment records.
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.