The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance of another person is remanded due to inconsistencies in VA examination reports and treatment records, as well as a failure to obtain all relevant VA treatment records from Tucson and Prescott.
The deciding factor: There are inconsistent findings regarding the Veteran's functional impairment due to his service-connected disabilities, necessitating further evaluation and clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- post-traumatic stress disorder, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, thoracic injury/chest muscle impairment with residual pain, right pontine stroke
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- A20016101
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II, left eye diabetic retinopathy, left foot diabetic peripheral neuropathy, right foot diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and coronary artery disease, as well as the Veteran's cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for coronary artery disease to correct duty to assist errors, as there are no adequate medical opinions of record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, vascular headaches, and cerebrovascular accident with left eye vision problem rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from April 1, 2015 to May 28, 2018.
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