The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for keratoconus, as his visual acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran's visual acuity was 20/40 corrected distance bilaterally, which does not warrant a compensable rating under the applicable criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- keratoconus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22000671
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for keratoconus, as the evidence did not support a rating higher than 40 percent.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for keratoconus was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the notice of disagreement.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for keratoconus, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran and finding that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service environmental exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an additional VA examination to address whether the Veteran's eye condition was due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or a similar instance of fault on the part of VA.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.