The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including anxiety, hip and knee disabilities, and hypothyroidism, have rendered her in need of regular aid and attendance due to her functional impairments. The Board has granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions, particularly anxiety, back pain, and lower extremity disabilities, have significantly limited her ability to perform daily activities and protect herself from hazards in her environment.
- Claimed conditions
- anxiety, residuals of right hip replacement, cholecystectomy residuals, hypothyroidism, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left hip arthritis, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, residuals of bunionectomy of right foot, residuals of fracture left leg, left foot plantar fasciitis, residuals of bunionectomy of left foot, right leg shortening and eyelid scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20006178
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (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 20006178.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected back and sciatica disabilities. The evidence did not support a nexus between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric condition, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted the claims for service connection for anxiety, depression, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), finding that new and relevant evidence supports these claims.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 50% and cannot be increased.,SMC at the housebound rate is granted from January 11, 2021 due to multiple service-connected disabilities.,A TDIU rating effective October 28, 2011 is granted based on inability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to migraine headaches.,Eligibility for DEA benefits is granted but no earlier than the date of claim (April 5, 1999).
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