The Board denied service connection for a left eye cataract and granted an increased rating of 40 percent for right eye aphakia, but did not grant SMC based on blindness of the right eye.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left eye cataract was found to be unrelated to his service-connected right eye aphakia. The Board determined that the Veteran had no more than light perception in his right eye and 20/40 visual acuity in his left eye, warranting a 40 percent rating under VA disability evaluation criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye cataract, right eye aphakia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- July 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20046427
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 20046427.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral eye disability, including right eye pseudophakia with retinal tear and vitreous hemorrhage, and left eye cataract, finding that there was not an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence to support the claim.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for residuals of left eye post-retinal detachment, to include left eye retinal scarring, left eye maculopathy, and left eye cataract.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including left eye cataract, heart disability, hypertension, bilateral peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, and bilateral hand disability (neuropathy and/or carpal tunnel syndrome), due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Denied
The Veteran's left eye cataract surgery is not service-connected, and therefore, he cannot receive a temporary total evaluation based on convalescence.
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