The Veteran's need for aid and attendance is denied because his vision loss, which requires regular assistance from a caregiver, is not related to any service-connected disability. The Board found that the Veteran's functional restrictions are due to his non-service connected blindness.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's visual acuity of 5/200 bilaterally and inability to perform daily living activities such as preparing meals or managing finances are attributed to his non-service connected vision loss, not any service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes mellitus type II, Peyronie's disease associated with the radical prostatectomy with impotency due to cancer, DJD of the cervical spine, DJD of the left elbow, DJD of the right elbow, DJD of the lumbar spine, DJD of the right shoulder, DJD of the left shoulder, Chondromalacia patella of the left knee, Hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144730
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 18144730.
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 remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for service connection for hemorrhoids and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for persistent depressive disorder and diabetes mellitus type II, granted an increased rating of 10 percent for hypertension, and granted an increased rating of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss. The Board also remanded service connection for cardiac arrhythmia.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and a right wrist condition due to the withdrawal of the appeals by the Veteran's attorney.
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