The Veteran's back brace, which is covered in fabric and does not cause irreparable damage to clothing, was denied a clothing allowance for 2014 due to the lack of loss of use of a hand or foot.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s back brace did not qualify as a device that tends to wear or tear clothing based on VA's National Prosthetic Guidance and the designee's determination.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Brace
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2018
- Citation
- 18143943
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 18143943.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's back brace caused wear and tear to his shirts, which is sufficient evidence for a clothing allowance in 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to missing relevant documents from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The AOJ needs to reconstruct the record and associate all pertinent records with the electronic claims file.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's clothing allowance claims for use of a back brace, bilateral ankle braces, right knee brace, shoe inserts (orthotics), and topical cream due to insufficient evidence regarding the types of devices used and their impact on clothing. The AOJ is instructed to seek clarification from the Veteran and obtain relevant documentation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's request for clothing allowances based on the use of back and left knee braces is remanded due to missing VA treatment records and prosthetic records.
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