The Board finds the evidence sufficient to show that the Appellant was in need of regular aid and attendance at the time she filed her claim for an earlier effective date for the aid and attendance award. The Veteran's VA mental health treatment records consistently indicated that the Appellant required constant care from him prior to his death.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the evidence showed the Appellant was in need of regular aid and assistance due to a spinal cord injury resulting in partial paralysis, requiring her to use a wheelchair and necessitating a caregiver.
- Claimed conditions
- Spinal cord injury, Paralysis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 12, 2018
- Citation
- 1822282
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1822282.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a spinal cord injury, loss of use of bilateral upper and lower extremities, and neurogenic bladder and bowel as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent rating. The TDIU claim is granted from June 30, 2018 to January 5, 2019.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him so helpless as to be in need of the regular aid and attendance of another person, resulting in a grant of SMC based on this need. However, higher levels of SMC are available under the law, which requires remand for further adjudication.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a preexisting spinal cord injury due to new and material evidence received since the March 2009 rating decision. However, the case is remanded as further medical examination is needed to determine if the preexisting condition was aggravated by service.
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