The Board denied service connection for a left eye condition, finding that the injury was caused by the Veteran's own abuse of alcohol and therefore not incurred in line of duty.
The deciding factor: The motor vehicle accident resulting in the left eye injury was determined to be caused by the Veteran's abuse of alcohol, which is considered willful misconduct under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Left eye condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21012879
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 21012879.
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: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left eye condition, finding that his pre-existing condition was aggravated during service.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for acne scarring of the posterior trunk and upper anterior trunk, based upon aggravation in service. The claims for a left eye condition, an initial, compensable rating for COPD, and TDIU were remanded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of right and left eye conditions due to inadequate VA examination reports. A new examination is needed to clarify whether these conditions are related to service or a pre-existing condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right eye condition worsened during service and if so, whether any worsening was due to natural progression of the disease. The Veteran is also asked to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from Dr. A.L. Lee.
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