The Board denied service connection for bilateral astigmatism and hypermetropia as these conditions are due to refractive errors, which are not considered diseases or injuries under VA compensation law.
The deciding factor: Service connection may not be granted for refractive errors of the eyes, including myopia, presbyopia, and astigmatism, even if visual acuity decreased in service, as they are congenital or developmental defects, not diseases or injuries within the meaning of applicable regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral astigmatism, bilateral hypermetropia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25036797
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
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