The Board denied the veteran's claims for SMC by reason of need for regular aid and attendance, finding that he does not meet the criteria set forth in VA regulations. The claim for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing was granted as the evidence established permanent and total service-connected disability due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The veteran's medical conditions do not meet the criteria for SMC by reason of need for regular aid and attendance, as he does not have vision corrected to visual acuity of 5/200 or less in both eyes or a concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less. The evidence also did not establish that he is factually in need of regular aid and attendance.
- Claimed conditions
- Insulin dependent diabetes, Peripheral vascular arterial disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 28, 2006
- Citation
- 0618953
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,319 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0618953.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the claim for DIC benefits is denied. The cause of death listed as encephalopathy secondary to hypoglycemia due to diabetes mellitus type II is presumed service-connected based on herbicide exposure during service aboard USS Buck (DD-761). However, the remand is required to determine if the Veteran was exposed in the offshore waters of Vietnam.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, as there was no evidence of any service-connected disability at the time of his death. The cause of death listed on his death certificate was COPD, which developed many years after service and was not related to any service-connected conditions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The veteran's overpayment of special monthly pension was waived due to his severe health problems and financial hardship.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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