The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, as there was no evidence showing he needed regular assistance from another person.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not meet the criteria for needing regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected conditions because of non-service-connected conditions such as left hip pain, degenerative joint disease status post right total hip replacement, bilateral knee pain, and morbid obesity.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease of the spine, bilateral knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20072616
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, right hip degenerative joint disease and rheumatoid arthritis with acetabular cyst status post right total hip replacement, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, hypertension, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, fever sores, and a compromised immune system, as the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for special monthly pension (SMP) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is remanded to ensure that the appellant receives every possible consideration, including a new VA examination.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection for erectile dysfunction, a heart condition, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral knees was dismissed as it was not timely filed.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disability, low back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability as the evidence did not support that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.
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