The Veteran's knee braces, wrist splints, and shoe inserts do not qualify for an annual clothing allowance as they are considered softgood orthotics that do not tend to wear or tear clothing.
The deciding factor: A VA Chief of Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service determined the knee braces, wrist splints, and shoe inserts were not of a type to cause wear and thus did not qualify for an annual clothing allowance.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee braces, bilateral wrist splints, bilateral shoe inserts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19100774
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
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