The Veteran's knee braces and pain cream have caused wear and tear to his clothing, meeting the criteria for an annual clothing allowance in 2017.
The deciding factor: The VAMC found that the Veteran's knee braces had not been replaced since issuance and damage his clothes. The Board weighed this finding against the Veteran's lay assertions and determined the evidence was at least in equipoise.
- Claimed conditions
- knee disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19196605
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 19196605.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea and low back disability has been reopened, but the claims are still pending as new evidence did not establish a current disability or link to service.,The Veteran's claim for chronic sinusitis is being remanded due to its potential secondary relationship with his sleep apnea.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate due to his service-connected knee disabilities. The evidence did not show that he required nursing home care, regular aid and attendance of another person, or was permanently housebound.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities cause significant impact on employability, and the Board finds that referral to the Director for further consideration of TDIU on an extraschedular basis is warranted.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depression and bilateral shoulder and knee conditions, did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 18, 2014. The Board found that the weight of the evidence demonstrated he was able to work as a valet driver despite his disabilities.
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