The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the eligibility requirements for a certificate of eligibility for specially adapted housing or a special home adaption grant due to his unsteady balance and coordination issues, which are not severe enough to qualify him under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have permanent and total disability that produces loss of use in both lower extremities, blindness in both eyes with only light perception, or anatomical loss or loss of use of one lower extremity together with residuals affecting balance or propulsion as to preclude locomotion without aid. His service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a certificate of eligibility.
- Claimed conditions
- Partial complex seizures, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Left shoulder impairment, Right knee chondromalacia, Residuals of left wrist injury associated with partial complex seizures, Bilateral tinnitus, Laceration of right check and chin, Gunshot wound scar, Bilateral hearing loss (noncompensable), Malaria (noncompensable), Posterior chest scar (noncompensable), Epidermophytosis of the feet (noncompensable), Otitis externa (noncompensable)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2013
- Citation
- 1335391
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 1335391.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and other disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since December 29, 2020. Effective from that date, the Veteran is granted TDIU and SMC housebound.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral lower extremity neuropathy due to diabetes mellitus, have resulted in loss of use of both lower extremities. The Board has granted eligibility for specially adapted housing and dismissed the claim for a special home adaptation grant as moot.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that his in-service exposure to hazardous noise caused his current condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right knee disability is being remanded for further evaluation due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its onset and etiology.
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.