The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for right eye trauma with retained intraocular foreign body, surgical aphakia, and exotropia was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on visual impairment or incapacitating episodes. For tinnitus, service connection was denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking the condition to his service-connected right eye disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for increased compensation for his right eye disability and service connection for tinnitus were both denied due to lack of competent medical evidence supporting a link between these conditions and his service or service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- right eye trauma with retained intraocular foreign body, surgical aphakia, exotropia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- December 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19191653
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · Granted: 29% (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 19191653.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including knee and back pain, exotropia, GERD, and hemorrhoids, due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for astigmatism and exotropia to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of his diagnosed eye conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a rating greater than 30 percent for his right-eye impairment to include blindness, exotropia, optic nerve pallor, cataract, presbyopia, retinal and macular scarring from October 22, 2008 is dismissed as moot because he is already in receipt of the 30 percent rating he sought.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left eye condition, which includes blindness, exotropia, optic atrophy, and retinal detachment. The decision finds that these conditions are related to his in-service injury while playing basketball.
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