The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral eye condition is a congenital defect and does not warrant service connection. For his acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, there is insufficient evidence to establish service connection as no competent medical opinion supports a link between any current psychiatric condition and his military service.
The deciding factor: There is no clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral eye condition was aggravated by service, nor does he have a diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) related to his military service. The Veteran's self-reports regarding his claimed conditions are not sufficient alone to establish a diagnosis of PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral eye condition, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2018
- Citation
- 1801011
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1801011.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), finding that new and relevant evidence supports these claims.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye condition should be remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and the need for an updated TERA Memorandum. The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination, and her allegations of exposure during basic training were not addressed.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's residuals of pneumonia are service-connected due to his military service and the presence of lung scarring from previous pneumonia episodes.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is service-connected based on in-service stressors.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection are being remanded due to scheduling conflicts preventing VA examinations, and the claim for a higher rating based on multiple noncompensable disabilities is inextricably intertwined with other pending claims.
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