The Veteran's widow is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance of another person. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for loss of balance due to lack of a Statement of the Case.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died in July 2015, and his widow is substituted as the appellant. The Veteran was found to be in need of regular aid and attendance prior to death due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- nephropathy with hypertension associated with diabetes mellitus type II, mood disorder, left great toe amputation associated with left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right great toe amputation associated with right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy with 2nd toe amputation, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy with 2nd toe amputation associated with diabetes mellitus type II, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus type II, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus type II, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus type II, tinnitus, retinopathy associated with diabetes mellitus type II, Charcot arthropathy of the left foot associated with diabetes mellitus type II, Charcot arthropathy of the right foot associated with diabetes mellitus type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144222
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 18144222.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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