The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral glaucoma was denied. The Veteran also had his initial disability evaluation for bilateral glaucoma (rated at 20%) denied as there is no evidence showing that the condition worsened since he was discharged from service in 1994.
The deciding factor: The claim for an earlier effective date was not supported by any evidence of a formal or informal claim filed prior to June 27, 2011. The Veteran's initial disability evaluation for bilateral glaucoma is at the maximum allowable under VA regulations and there is no evidence showing that his condition has worsened since he was discharged from service in 1994.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Glaucoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 23, 2020
- Citation
- A20017329
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 A20017329.
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: Denied
The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral glaucoma prior to February 1, 2025 is denied as the disability did not result in decreased corrected visual acuity or other impairment that would warrant a higher rating.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date for a 70 percent evaluation for bilateral glaucoma to include dry eye syndrome, beginning August 31, 2021.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD and bilateral glaucoma were granted, with the earliest effective date being July 25, 2018.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine the impacts of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to care for himself and his need for aid and attendance.
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