The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral optic atrophy is not related to his active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not establish a link between the Veteran's current bilateral optic atrophy and his military service, including any exposure to dust or metal debris in his eyes during service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral optic atrophy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 7, 2017
- Citation
- 1737692
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 1737692.
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 claim for bilateral optic atrophy was reopened and granted, with service connection established based on new evidence showing a link between in-service exposure to diesel exhaust and/or low oxygen levels and the current condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for migraines, bilateral optic atrophy, and cerebral spinal fluid leak due to insufficient examination findings in prior decisions. The Veteran's headaches, eye conditions, and CSF leak need further evaluation.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him bedridden or so helpless as to require regular aid and attendance, thus his claim for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The case is being remanded for additional development, including affording the Veteran a VA examination to address his bilateral optic atrophy and TDIU claim.
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