The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) due to lack of anatomical loss or use, blindness, or inability to walk without assistive devices. Additionally, he is not permanently bedridden or in need of regular aid and attendance as a result of his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from performing activities of daily living or render him housebound due to the lack of evidence supporting such claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis, Thoracolumbar spine condition, Left hip strain, Right hip strain, Right knee strain, Left knee strain, Right ankle strain, Left ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19121308
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,030 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19121308.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there was no nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee condition due to inadequate VA opinions and incomplete record development regarding his National Guard service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors and the need for a VA examination.
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