The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to adequately attend to his daily living needs without regular aid and attendance, thus granting special monthly compensation based on this need.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's memory loss due to PTSD, combined with physical limitations from multiple service-connected conditions, rendered him in need of assistance for protection against hazards in his daily environment.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with depressive features, muscle atrophy, left thigh, residuals of shell fragment wound to left lower extremity with knee and muscle damage and multiple small scars, degenerative arthritis of left knee joint, degenerative disc disease, cervical spine, degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, residual soft tissue scarring resulting from multiple shell fragment wounds, tinnitus, radiculopathy, left lower extremity, radiculopathy, right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, hallux rigidus, right foot, hallux rigidus, left foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- August 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19161294
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · Granted: 23% (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 19161294.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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