The Veteran's loss of vision in the left eye was not caused by VA care, but rather due to his own negligence and non-compliance with medical advice.
The deciding factor: VA determined that the Veteran's loss of vision was a result of his failure to follow proper medical instructions and comply with treatment recommendations.
- Claimed conditions
- vision loss in left eye
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19154158
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (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 19154158.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for vision loss in the left eye should be remanded due to new and material evidence having been received. The restoration of a 30 percent rating for sinusitis, ethmoid and maxillary is also remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete evidence, specifically a missing non-VA ophthalmology consultation report from June 2014. The Veteran claims that VA negligence caused his vision loss in the left eye after his May 2014 laser trabeculoplasty procedure.
- Denied
The Board found no evidence of a current left eye vision loss disability and concluded that there is no causal relationship between the Veteran's military service and his claimed left eye vision loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and opinions regarding service connection for hypertension and compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 for vision loss in the left eye.
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.