The Veteran's claims for clothing allowances related to knee braces, a manual wheelchair, diabetic shoes and inserts, and topical medication were denied. The decision grants payment of a clothing allowance for bilateral knee braces used due to service-connected disabilities that wore out or damaged his clothing.
The deciding factor: The Veteran provided evidence showing he used knee braces for service-connected conditions which caused damage to his clothing, but the specific style did not normally result in wear and tear of his clothing. The manual wheelchair use was denied as the Veteran did not use one during 2017. The diabetic shoes and inserts were found not to qualify as qualifying appliances under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- IHD (Ischemic Heart Disease), DMD (Diabetes Mellitus Type II), PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), Osteoarthritis of the Left Knee, Tinnitus, Right Knee Chondromalacia, Hypertension, Pseudogynecomastia (Scars), Bilateral Pes Planus, Hiatal Hernia, Anemia, Plantar Warts of Bilateral Feet, Maculopathy of the Left Eye
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19182207
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.
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