The Board denied effective dates prior to the specified dates for service connection of various ALS-related disabilities, including upper and lower extremity weakness, neck weakness with head drop, dysarthria, and dysphagia. The effective dates granted were July 5, 2005 for neck weakness with head drop; August 10, 2005 for dysarthria; and December 12, 2005 for dysphagia.,The Board also denied an award of special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The effective dates were not earlier than the specified dates because the earliest clinical records indicating these disabilities arose at or after those dates. The claim was considered as a derivative of the Veteran's accrued benefits claim, which had to be filed within one year of his death.,For SMC based on need for aid and attendance, the Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria due to lack of evidence showing he required regular aid and attendance.
- Claimed conditions
- ALS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19186639
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19186639.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be motor neuron disease with respiratory failure. The Board found that the Veteran had an ALS diagnosis and granted service connection for his cause of death, as it resulted from a motor neuron disorder.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Servicemember's cause of death, including ALS, myasthenia gravis, and metastatic prostate cancer, as they were not incurred during or related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be motor neuron disease with respiratory failure. The Board found that the Veteran had an ALS diagnosis and granted service connection for his cause of death, as it resulted from a motor neuron disorder.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be motor neuron disease with respiratory failure. The Board found that the Veteran had an ALS diagnosis and granted service connection for his cause of death, as it resulted from a motor neuron disorder.
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