The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1114(k) for loss of use of his left (minor) upper extremity, finding that effective function remains other than what would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election with a suitable prosthetic appliance.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved doubt in favor of the Veteran and found that effective function remained of the left (minor) upper extremity other than what would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance, granting SMC under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1114(k).
- Claimed conditions
- left (minor) shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 28, 2015
- Citation
- 1532160
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 1532160.
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 the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left shoulder disability, GERD, and inguinal hernia. The Veteran was not granted a TDIU prior to April 1, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's low back disability, right knee disabilities (post-prosthetic replacement and prior), left shoulder disability, and right ankle disability. The TDIU claim is also on appeal for a period prior to March 18, 2015.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lumbar spine, right knee, left shoulder, and right ankle disabilities are all rated lower than the maximum allowed. The Board has remanded these cases for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various disabilities, including left shoulder and ankle disabilities, lumbar spine disability, and right knee disability. The issues include determining appropriate functional loss due to pain or other symptoms during flare-ups or with repeated use, as well as assessing whether there are any incapacitating episodes associated with these conditions.
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