The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran required aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, specifically diabetes mellitus. The appellant's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance as an accrued benefit is being remanded.
The deciding factor: A medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Claimed conditions
- Cerebrovascular accident (CVA), Diabetes mellitus, Right ankle disability, Left buttock and back disability, Spine disability, Chest disability, Left arm disability, Left lower extremity disability, Face disability, Left shoulder disability, Left hip disability, Left knee disability, Right lower extremity disability, Scars, Cardiopulmonary arrest
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19167529
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 19167529.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for right and left shoulder disabilities, as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for osteoarthritis of the right hand and service connection for a left shoulder disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
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