The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson’s disease and secondary disabilities is granted with an effective date of July 7, 2009. The Board also finds the Veteran is entitled to an earlier effective date of July 7, 2009 for SMC based on housebound criteria.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had symptoms of Parkinson’s disease as early as July 7, 2009 and was diagnosed with the condition later. The Board found reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran's claim due to his earlier symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Parkinson’s disease, Right upper extremity impairment, Left upper extremity impairment, Left lower extremity impairment, Loss of sense of smell, Difficulty chewing and swallowing (dysphagia), Speech changes including verbal stutter, Balance impairment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19146856
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 940 · Granted: 21% (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 19146856.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 SMC based on aid and attendance from June 1, 2011, to May 24, 2017, finding that his need for regular aid and attendance was not established during this period.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal as the appellant withdrew his intent to pursue eligibility for past-due fees based on an August 2025 Rating Decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran has withdrawn the appeal for all issues related to disability ratings for various service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected Parkinsonism, as it meets the criteria for such benefits.
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