The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 22, 2013 for the grant of service connection for photophobia is denied. The Board finds that there was no prior claim or entitlement to service connection for visual impairment.
The deciding factor: There was no formal or informal claim received by VA before April 22, 2013 for service connection for an eye or vision disability.
- Claimed conditions
- photophobia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19161927
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (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 19161927.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury, seizure disorder, photophobia, and headaches are being remanded due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration records.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically failing to obtain an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral eye disability is related to service exposure to burn pits. The AOJ should obtain such an opinion.
- Whole decision: Granted
Service connection is granted for dry eye syndrome, photophobia, and right knee PFPS. Service connection for right shoulder strain and left shoulder strain is remanded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claims for photophobia and an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to photophobia need further development due to inadequate medical opinions.
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