The veteran's medical condition, due to multiple service-connected disabilities, resulted in him being unable to walk without assistance and requiring a wheelchair. The Board finds that his loss of use of both feet meets the criteria for SMC based on accrued benefits purposes.
The deciding factor: The veteran's severe physical limitations, including frequent falls and inability to walk independently, met the criteria for loss of use of both feet as defined by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease/hypertension/status post myocardial infarction/coronary artery bypass graft/congestive heart failure, kidney failure due to chronic kidney infection requiring hemodialysis, aortic occlusive disease, status-post angioplasty, decreased grip strength, residual of CVA, bilateral cataracts and glaucoma, status-post right cataract extraction, diabetes mellitus, weakness of the right leg, residual of CVA
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 1, 2005
- Citation
- 0532320
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 0532320.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular Aid and Attendance is granted as of April 25, 2024.,For diabetes mellitus, a rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
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