The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a permanent and total cardiac disability and bilateral knee conditions, are found to be equivalent to the loss of use of one lower extremity with residuals. A certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing is granted.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his permanent and total cardiac disability and bilateral knee conditions, meet the criteria for a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to their impact on locomotion without the aid of braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair.
- Claimed conditions
- Anterior cruciate ligament laxity of the right knee, possible tear, Chondromalacia patella of the left knee, Chondromalacia patella of the right knee, Degenerative changes of both knees with osteophytic spurring of the medial compartments and narrowing, Permanent and total cardiac disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 15, 2004
- Citation
- 0401537
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,599 · Granted: 37% (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 0401537.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, as well as the issue of entitlement to special monthly compensation based on loss of use of the lower extremities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include psychiatric disorders, a back disability, and a right knee disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his conditions did not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal for increased evaluations and TDIU prior to January 21, 2022 due to inadequate VA examinations in previous decisions.
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