The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye disability, specifically glaucoma, has been denied as there is no evidence of such condition during service or related to service. The Veteran was found not to have had glaucoma at the time of his separation from service and currently does not have it.,Service connection for depression has also been denied as there is no competent medical evidence showing a current diagnosis of depression.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran did not have glaucoma during service or related to service, and thus could not establish service connection. For depression, the Board found that there was no current diagnosis of depression in the record.,For the thoracolumbar spine disability, the Board noted a lack of evidence showing an injury or disease in service, but also acknowledged the possibility of a back disability being related to a motor vehicle accident (MVA) during service. The Board requested further examination for clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral eye disability, depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19121056
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (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 19121056.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
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