The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability and physical disabilities separately result in her requiring regular aid and attendance from another person, warranting a higher rate of special monthly compensation (SMC).
The deciding factor: The Veteran requires continuous medication management due to her psychiatric disability, which limits her ability to perform daily tasks.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depression with Panic Attacks, Sleep Apnea, Total Hysterectomy and Oophorectomy, Overflow Incontinence and Vesicovaginal Fistula, Fecal Incontinence Associated with Diabetes Mellitus, Right Knee Replacement, Left Shoulder Condition, Chronic Right Shoulder Strain, Chronic Right Shoulder Dislocation, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Sciatic Nerve, Diabetes Mellitus with Lower Extremity Neuralgia, IVDS of the Right Hip, Cervical Spine Condition, Right Knee Instability, Chronic Left Knee Strain, Lumbar Spine Condition, Right Foot Condition, Tinnitus, Status Post Breast Reduction Scars, Headaches, Status Post Tonsillectomy, Left Hip Condition, Scar of the Right Lower Extremity, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Sciatic Nerve, Right Thigh Varicosities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- April 12, 2023
- Citation
- 23022166
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 23022166.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been rated and denied for increased ratings, with some conditions receiving specific disability ratings. The Veteran is granted a 60% rating for her total right knee replacement from September 4, 2015 onwards, but the other claims are denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
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