The Veteran's right eye blindness was not incurred in the line of duty and is denied.,The Veteran's right-hand scar preexisted service and is not aggravated by service, thus denial.,The acquired psychiatric disorders are not related to service and are denied.,Bilateral knee osteoarthritis did not manifest during or within one year after service and is denied.,Bilateral hand osteoarthritis was not shown to be chronic during service and is denied.,Low back disability is not shown to exist currently and is denied.,Neuropathy is not shown to exist currently and is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right eye blindness resulted from a motor vehicle accident while on active duty, but the service department found it was due to his own willful misconduct. Therefore, it was not incurred in the line of duty.,The Veteran's right-hand scar preexisted service and did not worsen during service. Thus, it is not related to service.,There is no evidence linking the acquired psychiatric disorders to service. The Veteran denied any combat experience or military sexual trauma.,Bilateral knee osteoarthritis was not shown to be chronic during service and did not manifest within one year of separation.,Bilateral hand osteoarthritis was not shown to be chronic during service and is not linked to service.,Low back disability is not currently diagnosed, thus denial.,Neuropathy is not currently diagnosed, thus denial.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Eye Blindness, Right-Hand Scar, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include Depression and Anxiety), Bilateral Knee Osteoarthritis, Bilateral Hand Osteoarthritis, Low Back Disability, Neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2018
- Citation
- 18139983
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 18139983.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain private treatment records from Mays & Schnapp Pain Management and schedule the Veteran for additional medical examinations.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, including diagnosed degenerative arthritis with DDD other than intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis status post L3, L4, and L5 laminectomy. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury and his ongoing symptoms since then.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, low back condition, bilateral knee disabilities, and left shoulder strain have been granted service connection. The Veteran's low back condition has been increased to a 40 percent evaluation, while the bilateral knee conditions remain at their current 10 percent evaluations.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
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