The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for an eye disability, finding that his current diagnoses are not related to service.
The deciding factor: The VA optometrist concluded that the Veteran's dry eye condition was not likely related to service, including the in-service chemical spray. The secondary iritis arose years after service and resolved with no sequelae. Suspected glaucoma is unrelated to service as it is linked to post-service cocaine use.
- Claimed conditions
- Eye Disability, Dry Eye, Secondary Iritis, Suspected Glaucoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2017
- Citation
- 1748380
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 1748380.
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 Board has granted service connection for Multiple Sclerosis, a headache disability as secondary to service-connected MS, and an eye disability as secondary to service-connected MS. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are supported by medical evidence, and the Board finds that they are related to her service-connected MS.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a TIA and an eye disability, finding that additional development is needed due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to new and material evidence having been received. The claims are now pending for further examination and opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, an eye disability, hepatitis C, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee strain. The evidence did not support a valid diagnosis of PTSD based on a corroborated in-service stressor.
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