The Board granted service connection for left eye dry eye and cataract, finding the evidence to be approximately evenly balanced as to whether these disabilities are related to service.
The deciding factor: The December 2023, March 2024, and July 2023 opinions indicate that the Veteran's left eye cataract was aggravated by service (to include periods of INACDUTRA), and as the evidence is approximately evenly balanced, reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye dry eye, left eye cataract
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 2, 2024
- Citation
- 24031420
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left and right eye dry eyes, cataracts of the left and right eyes, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left renal arteriovenous malformation, aneurysm, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine, recurrent subluxation of the left knee prior to May 13, 2020, left total knee replacement, disability rating in excess of 60 percent from September 1, 2021, forward for left total knee replacement, DJD of the right knee, right knee instability, burns of the bilateral ankles, linear scar of the left knee, post-surgical tender scars of the left knee, and a total disability rating due to unemployability (TDIU) based upon service-connected disabilities prior to June 14, 2019.
- 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 Board denied service connection for right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities, as well as left eye cataract and diabetic retinopathy, finding no evidence of a current disability related to in-service injury or disease.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.