The Board has granted service connection for bilateral glaucoma and denied service connection for bilateral cataracts, refractive error (including astigmatism and presbyopia), and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 10 percent prior to September 14, 2015, and 20 percent thereafter.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether the bilateral glaucoma was caused by service-connected diabetes, granting service connection for this condition. The cataracts were not related to diabetes, and the Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral glaucoma, bilateral cataracts, refractive error (including astigmatism and presbyopia)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18150671
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 18150671.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for hyperlipidemia as it is not a disability for VA purposes. The other claims were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for eye conditions, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction and left eye retinopathy. However, it denied increased ratings for multiple peripheral neuropathies, hypertension, and status post tympanoplasty.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including a bilateral eye disability and cardiovascular conditions, based on the Veteran's in-service occupational exposures.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral cataracts, dry eye syndrome, allergic conjunctivitis, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and atrial fibrillation as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by an in-service event.
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