The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of May 16, 2006. The Board has granted an effective date for the TDIU and DEA benefits but not for SMC based on aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation as of May 16, 2006, which is when his claim for increased ratings was received. However, the effective date for SMC based on aid and attendance cannot be assigned prior to November 10, 2014.
- Claimed conditions
- Parkinson's disease, muscle rigidity, right upper extremity, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, type II, skull fracture, right parietal area, post-operative craniotomy with skull defect, tinea versicolor, right frontalis muscle weakness and hypoesthesia of right upper and lower face, residuals of head injury with skull fracture, headaches, residual of head injury, erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19194876
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (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 19194876.
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.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
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