The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left eye macular degeneration, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions provided conflicting explanations regarding the cause of the Veteran's left eye macular degeneration, with one suggesting it was related to diabetes and another attributing it to aging. The Board found these opinions insufficient to establish a nexus between the Veteran's in-service symptoms and his current condition.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye macular degeneration
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20026522
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 20026522.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial compensable rating for headaches and his claim for TDIU from August 31, 2011, to February 20, 2018 are both remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral eye disability is related to service-connected conditions or presumed herbicide exposure. The case will be returned for further development and consideration.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for right eye vision loss as there is no current diagnosis of such condition and the Veteran does not have a history of right eye symptoms or impairment.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical opinions and need for additional evidence. The Veteran's left eye cataracts are being reviewed, as is his claim for SMC benefits and Chapter 35 DEA benefits.
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