The Veteran's left eye blindness is not service-connected as it was caused by age-related macular degeneration, which the VA examiner concluded was not a result of carelessness or negligence on the part of VA.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's worsening vision in his left eye after surgery was due to age-related macular degeneration and not related to the February 2010 cataract extraction surgery.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye blindness, age-related macular degeneration
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19116529
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 19116529.
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 claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 because the evidence did not show that her left eye blindness was caused by VA care, and instead concluded it was due to her own non-compliance with medical instructions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the surgeries performed in April 2010 and their impact on his left eye disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Diabetes Mellitus (Type II) and left eye blindness due to potential direct service connection based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran's medical conditions are not entitled to presumptive service connection, but may be related to his service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left eye blindness and Parkinson's disease, among other conditions. The Veteran is not entitled to compensation ratings or SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status.
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