The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, resulting in a grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on need for regular aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions necessitate personal assistance due to his inability to perform daily activities independently.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) residuals, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol and substance abuse, Headaches, Hemorrhoids, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hiatal hernia, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Right and left foot peripheral neuropathy (PN), Right and left foot residuals of cold injury onychomycosis, Residuals of left foot injury, Ingrown toenails, Left great toe scar, Erectile dysfunction (ED)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- July 7, 2023
- Citation
- 23037679
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 23037679.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bladder cancer, erectile dysfunction, and gouty arthropathy due to outstanding VA treatment records not being obtained. The Veteran's request for a referral to a urologist for ED is also remanded. A VA medical opinion is needed regarding the relationship between the Veteran's gouty arthropathy and his service-connected conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased evaluation of his hemorrhoids, so the case is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
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