The Veteran's left eye disability is not service-connected, and the Board denied accrued benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a loss of vision in his left eye due to VA medical care.,The cause of death was not service-connected or etiologically related to service, and none of his service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to, combined to cause, or aided in the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the loss of vision in the Veteran’s left eye was not caused by VA carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault. The event (the cataract surgery) was not reasonably foreseeable.,The cause of death was not service-connected and none of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Left eye disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19142432
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 19142432.
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 service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, alcohol abuse, a liver disability, and hand and eye disabilities, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or secondary to any service-connected condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right shoulder disability, left elbow disability, right elbow disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service. The claims for psychiatric disability, obstructive sleep apnea, left eye disability, right eye disability, cervical spine disability, and left shoulder disability were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an enlarged prostate, a bladder disability, and right and left eye disabilities as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service, including in-service herbicide exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the reopening of claims for service connection based on new and material evidence, but remanded several issues for further development.
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.