The Veteran was not found to be in need of regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities other than the loss of use of bilateral lower extremities, which is why he did not meet the criteria for SMC(o).
The deciding factor: The May 2017 examination noted that the Veteran requires help with medication management but does not indicate any need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities other than the loss of use of bilateral lower extremities.
- Claimed conditions
- Loss of Use of Bilateral Lower Extremities (due to residuals of cold injuries), Residuals of Frostbite of the Left Upper Extremity, Residuals of Frostbite of the Right Upper Extremity, Degenerative Arthritis of the Left Knee, Residuals of Shell Fragment Wound of the Right Lower Leg (noncompensable), Forehead Scar (noncompensable), Left Knee Scar (noncompensable)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- June 21, 2022
- Citation
- 22035636
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 22035636.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
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The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, as well as left ankle strain.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection and an initial compensable evaluation, finding that the evidence did not support a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss disability or sleep apnea related to service. The Veteran's hemorrhoids were found to be noncompensable.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found the records incomplete and remanded for several reasons, including obtaining updated private treatment records from the Veteran's ENT provider and VA treatment records. Additionally, a new examination is required to assess the severity of the Veteran's left knee disability due to inadequate previous examination.
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