The Veteran's urinary incontinence is rated at a 60 percent rating effective October 27, 2014. The Veteran also received an increase in SMC based on the need for aid and attendance or permanent housebound status.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s urinary incontinence resulted in the wearing of absorbent material which must be changed more than four times per day, meeting the criteria for a 60 percent rating under DC 7542. The SMC increase was denied as the Veteran had already been properly compensated with SMC (m 1/2) plus (k).
- Claimed conditions
- Urinary incontinence, Loss of use of both feet (secondary to encephalomyelitis), Incomplete paralysis of the right and left upper extremities, Oropharyngeal dysphagia with dysphonia, Encephalomyelitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20068136
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 112 · Granted: 20% (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 20068136.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for urinary incontinence and left ankle sprain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to her military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased rating of hypertension and service connection for genitourinary disability, including benign prostatic hyperplasia and urinary incontinence, as secondary to medication used for a service-connected hypertension disability are remanded due to duty to assist errors.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including her lumbar spine disability and migraine headaches, have caused her to require regular aid and attendance. SMC based on the need for aid and attendance is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issues of whether the character of the Appellant's discharge from service constitutes a bar to VA benefits, and the entitlements for PTSD, peripheral neuropathy, prostate disorders, and urinary incontinence. The decision also notes that less than one year has passed since the AOJ issued the rating decision on appeal.
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