The Board denied service connection for a right eye disorder claimed as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left eye cataract extraction. The rating for his left eye cataract extraction was also denied, with the Veteran currently receiving a 30 percent rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners determined that the Veteran’s right eye disorder is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left eye disability and that there are no incapacitating episodes to warrant an increased rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Eye Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- January 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19103690
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103690.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to insufficient evidence showing that his right eye disorder was caused by or aggravated by VA treatment, including the December 2015 YAG capsulotomy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete findings in previous VA examinations and a need for further clarification of certain medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for right eye disorder, spine disorder, neurological disorders of upper and lower extremities, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to inadequate VA examinations that did not address the Veteran's lay statements and service treatment records.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD, right eye disorder, and lumbar spine disability were denied. The claim for a TDIU was granted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.