The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of the left foot is denied as there is no evidence that he has suffered anatomical loss or loss of use of a foot, defined by VA regulations.
The deciding factor: There was no effective function remaining other than what would be equally well served by an amputation with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance for the Veteran's left foot condition.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot drop
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 22, 2019
- Citation
- A19003084
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 A19003084.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for right and left foot drop, granted service connection for a right shoulder strain, and denied service connection for TBI. The claim for TDIU was dismissed.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left foot drop, finding that it was secondary to the Veteran's service-connected ischemic cerebrovascular accident (stroke) residuals.
- Denied
The Board denied a separate rating for a neurological impairment of the left foot, to include left foot drop, as it was determined that the symptoms were part and parcel of the already service-connected LLE radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) from April 10, 2009, through March 19, 2014, and an effective date of April 10, 2009, for the award of Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.
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