The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension (SMP) on account of being in need of the aid and attendance of another person was denied as he is not service-connected for any disability, and his nonservice-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for regular aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a service-connected condition that would qualify him for SMP based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his non-service-connected conditions which are all rated at less than 100 percent combined disability rating, and he is able to perform most of his daily personal needs without assistance.
- Claimed conditions
- atherosclerotic heart disease, lumbar discogenic disease and lumbar spondylosis, myositis, cervical discogenic disease and cervical spondylosis, high blood pressure, early senile cataracts, chronic allergic rhinosinusitis, status post adenocarcinoma of the prostate
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0933795
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 0933795.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes mellitus due to errors in development of the claim.
- Granted
The Board has granted DIC benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected prostate cancer and its treatment caused his death due to side effects from Zytiga.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee condition, high blood pressure, and low back condition. Service connection was also denied for pseudofolliculitis barbae.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee condition. The reduction in rating for left ankle strain from 10 to zero percent was improper and restoration of the prior 10 percent rating is granted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.