EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. Not legal or medical advice. Not affiliated with the VA.
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Blindness, Bilateral (Both Eyes)
✓ VERIFIED AGAINST 38 C.F.R.§ 4.79 (Eye) · reviewed 2026-05-17 · ClaimRecon Editorial Team
Blindness, Bilateral (Both Eyes) is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under DC 6061 of 38 CFR § 4.79, DC 6061--6063 across 1 severity tier (100%). Service connection requires (1) a current diagnosis, (2) an in-service event, injury, or exposure, and (3) a medical nexus opinion linking the two under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303.
OVERVIEW
Total loss of vision in both eyes, encompassing four verbatim § 4.79 pathways: anatomical loss of both eyes (DC 6061), no more than light perception in both eyes (DC 6062), anatomical loss of one eye with the other eye 5/200 or worse (DC 6063), and no more than light perception in one eye with the other eye 5/200 or worse (DC 6064). Each pathway triggers § 4.79 footnote 1: "Review for entitlement to special monthly compensation under 38 CFR 3.350."
RATING CRITERIA (1 LEVELS)
100%
Four verbatim DC pathways from § 4.79 rate 100%: (1) DC 6061 — Anatomical loss of both eyes. (2) DC 6062 — No more than light perception in both eyes. (3) DC 6063 — Anatomical loss of one eye, in the other eye 5/200 (1.5/60). (4) DC 6064 — No more than light perception in one eye, in the other eye 5/200 (1.5/60). Footnote 1 to each pathway (verbatim): "Review for entitlement to special monthly compensation under 38 CFR 3.350." Schedular 100% combines with SMC entitlements under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l)-(p).
KEY EVIDENCE TO GATHER
-Service treatment records showing injury or complaints
-Imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT)
-Range of motion measurements
-Flare-up documentation per Sharp v. Shulkin
-Buddy statements describing limitations
-Prescription history
-Physical therapy records
-Employment impact documentation
C&P EXAM TIPS (6)
1.Do NOT stretch, warm up, or take pain medication before your exam. The VA needs your baseline limitation.
2.Report your WORST day. DeLuca v. Brown requires documentation of functional loss during flare-ups.
3.Tell the examiner about flare-ups: frequency, duration, estimated ROM loss. Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) requires estimates.
4.Request active, passive, weight-bearing, and non-weight-bearing ROM testing per Correia v. McDonald (2016).
5.If you use assistive devices (brace, cane), bring them.
6.Describe daily activity impact: work, sleep, household tasks.
SOURCES & EDITORIAL
Rating criteria text quoted verbatim from 38 C.F.R. § 4.79 (Eye). Source verified 2026-05-17 by ClaimRecon Editorial Team during a regulation-text comparison against the Cornell Law CFR mirror; eCFR.gov is the authoritative government source.
EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. NOT LEGAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE.
NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
CLAIM RECON 2026