BVA decisions by condition
Eye impairment: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a eye impairment issue in 722 decisions. It granted the eye impairment issue in 11.1% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 39.8%, and remanded it in 48.2%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 21.8% were granted.
Decisions
722
2017–2026
Granted
11.1%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
21.8%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
48.2%
Denied: 39.8%
Eye impairment outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 136 | 10.3% | 52.2% | 30.9% | 6.6% |
| 2018 | 175 | 8.6% | 46.9% | 38.9% | 5.7% |
| 2019 | 141 | 12.1% | 24.8% | 61.7% | 1.4% |
| 2020 | 59 | 13.6% | 42.4% | 42.4% | 1.7% |
| 2021 | 60 | 11.7% | 35.0% | 53.3% | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 53 | 5.7% | 32.1% | 60.4% | 1.9% |
| 2024 | 52 | 17.3% | 28.8% | 50.0% | 3.8% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied eye impairment decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the eye impairment issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 71 | 54.0% | 16.7% | +37.3 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 59 | 50.0% | 17.6% | +32.4 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 182 | 33.0% | 17.2% | +15.8 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 110 | 18.4% | 22.2% | −3.8 pts |
| Lay statement | 582 | 19.9% | 34.8% | −14.8 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 68.8% of the decisions that granted eye impairment.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 32.5% of grants and 11.1% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often eye impairment was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 399 | 17.7% | 29.8% | −12.1 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 535 | 19.0% | 39.2% | −20.2 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied eye impairment
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established6
- New and material evidence submitted since prior denial2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim43
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service28
- No current diagnosis22
- Service records negative or silent14
- Current diagnosis established14
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis9
- Already at the maximum schedular rating5
- No incapacitating episodes documented3
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent eye impairment decisions
Granted
20 percent rating assigned for dry eye syndrome; Bilateral condition affecting tearing and moisture; Rated by analogy to DC 6025 (Disorders of the lacrimal apparatus); Highest rating possible under DC 6025
October 2024 VA examination showed corrected distance vision of 20/70 in both eyes.; This visual acuity meets the criteria for a 30 percent rating under DC 6066.; Rating granted from October 11, 2024, when the increase became factually ascertainable.
Disfigurement with asymmetry of one paired set of features (eyes); Visible tissue loss of the lower iris; Rating based on Diagnostic Code 7800
Denied
VA examiners found eye disorder less likely than not related to service.; Chiropractor's opinion lacked medical rationale and qualifications.; Veteran's medical records showed no residuals from jet fuel incident.
Already assigned maximum 20% rating under DC 6025; Symptoms adequately contemplated by schedular criteria; No visual acuity impairment or other eye conditions noted
Corrected distance vision 20/40 in each eye is noncompensable under DC 6066.; No documented visual field defect, diplopia, or incapacitating episodes.; Symptoms of eye strain and headaches did not meet criteria for extraschedular consideration.
Rules that apply to eye impairment claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your eye impairment case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a eye impairment issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.