The Board has denied service connection for bilateral eye condition, back disability, and left hand finger condition as the evidence does not establish a link to active military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not find sufficient evidence linking the Veteran's conditions to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability, Bilateral Eye Condition, Left Hand Finger Condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19161621
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19161621.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for GERD has been readjudicated due to the submission of relevant new evidence.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral eye condition, headaches, low back condition, lung cancer, and Parkinson's disease with tremors have also been readjudicated due to the submission of relevant new evidence.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA rating decision denying service connection for a right knee disability and a back disability is not supported by adequate medical opinions, and thus remands the case for further development.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's right knee disability (status post total knee arthroplasty) is rated at 60 percent prior to December 10, 2024 and denied for higher ratings thereafter. His left knee disability remains at 10 percent. The bilateral eye condition was initially rated at 10 percent but increased to 20 percent beginning December 12, 2024. TDIU is granted prior to August 1, 2023.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disability, back disability, and left elbow disability must be remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran provided lay reports of symptoms but the VA examiners did not consider these reports in their conclusions.
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