The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for retinal detachment of the right eye under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 was granted, with a final effective date of October 23, 2009.,A separate 10% disability evaluation for loss of nasal half of visual field in the right eye was also granted, effective September 11, 2015.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's retinal detachment during surgery was not an aggravation of a pre-existing condition and thus should be rated separately.
- Claimed conditions
- Retinal detachment, Loss of nasal half of visual field
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- March 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19116830
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 317 · Granted: 19% (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 19116830.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the issue of service connection for left eye disability is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left eye disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected epilepsy.
- Denied
The Veteran's loss of eyesight in the right eye following cataract extraction, glaucoma shunt, and retinal detachment repair is denied as it was not caused by VA care or treatment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether VA recommended cataract surgery and if VA care providers were negligent in recommending it. The Veteran's detached retina is being evaluated for causation.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for VA disability compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, finding that the Veteran's right eye disability was not caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance on VA's part.
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.