The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) for his service-connected bilateral focal chorioretinitis, bilateral optic neuritis, peripheral retinal degeneration, bilateral macular degeneration, and bilateral optic neuropathy, as well as PTSD with unspecified neurocognitive disorder and TBI.
The deciding factor: The Veteran is in need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, which meet the criteria for SMC(l) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l).
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral focal chorioretinitis, bilateral optic neuritis, peripheral retinal degeneration, bilateral macular degeneration, bilateral optic neuropathy, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with unspecified neurocognitive disorder and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25099752
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 705 · Granted: 38% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25099752.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for partial pneumonectomy and bilateral optic neuropathy have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in a previous VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral macular degeneration pre-existed service and was aggravated by military service. The case is now pending further clarification from an appropriate medical professional.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral blepharitis are denied. The claim of service connection for peripheral retinal degeneration is remanded.,The Veteran seeks service connection for peripheral retinal degeneration, but a VA medical examination or opinion addressing the relationship to his military service has not been provided.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for eye disability, including bilateral exotropia, macular degeneration, cataracts, dry eye syndrome, and pinguecula, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were caused by or related to the Veteran's military service.
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