The Veteran's emergency room visit at Smith Northview Hospital on October 7-8, 2013 was deemed necessary due to the sudden worsening of numbness and new symptoms like severe head pain and slurred speech. The closest VA facility was over 50 miles away, making it infeasible for immediate treatment.
The deciding factor: The condition warranted immediate medical attention as a prudent layperson would have recognized the risk of delay in seeking care due to the sudden worsening of numbness and new symptoms like severe head pain and slurred speech.
- Claimed conditions
- numbness in the face, severe head pain, slurred speech
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21013107
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 21013107.
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.
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The Board denied service connection for a stroke, difficulty swallowing, vision disability, bilateral foot drop, memory loss, mental confusion, severe headaches, dizziness, slurred speech, and non-toxic thyroid enlargement as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for earlier effective date prior to November 15, 2021, for DEA benefits was denied as he did not meet the basic eligibility requirements of having a permanent and total service-connected disability prior to that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service dates are not verified, which prevents a determination on his claims for service connection. The case is being remanded to verify these dates.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues on appeal, including service connection claims and rating determinations.
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