The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right eye blindness is a result of VA medical care, specifically an April 9, 2009 surgery, which failed to diagnose glaucoma in his left eye and a retinal vein occlusion in his right eye. The delay in diagnosis contributed to the poor visual outcome.
The deciding factor: The failure to diagnose pre-existing conditions such as glaucoma and central retinal vein occlusion led to delayed treatment and progression of the Veteran's vision loss, resulting in blindness.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Eye Blindness, Right Eye Blindness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2018
- Citation
- 1810310
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 1810310.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 an earlier effective date for service connection of right eye blindness is granted.,The Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use of the right eye is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for right eye blindness prior to January 13, 2014 remains pending and will be remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran is eligible for PCAFC benefits but needs further clarification on the level of stipend (Level 1 or Level 2) based on his specific needs. The case is being remanded to determine this.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for right eye blindness due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining treatment records and providing an addendum opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected right eye disability has prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted his TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.
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