The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, warranting entitlement to SMC at the aid and attendance rate.
The deciding factor: The Veteran requires assistance with activities of daily living such as showering, meal preparation, and putting on socks due to his service-connected conditions which include coronary artery disease, diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, traumatic arthritis, chondromalacia, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoidectomy, and residuals of traumatic brain injury.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes, diabetic neuropathy of left upper extremity, diabetic neuropathy of right upper extremity, diabetic neuropathy with radiculopathy of left lower extremity, diabetic neuropathy with radiculopathy of right lower extremity, traumatic arthritis of both knees, right knee chondromalacia with arthritis, left knee chondromalacia with arthritis, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoidectomy, residuals of traumatic brain injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- June 30, 2022
- Citation
- 22037789
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 22037789.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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