The Veteran's service-connected disabilities cause him to require regular aid and attendance to keep him ordinarily clean and presentable, attend to the wants of nature, and protect him from the hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for SMC A&A.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran requires assistance with activities of daily living due to multiple service-connected disabilities, including arthritis, radiculopathy, and IBS, which impair his ability to perform these tasks independently.
- Claimed conditions
- Urinary disorder, Hypertension, Left and right knee flexion and extension from retropatellar pain syndrome, Left and right knee anterolateral scars, Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder, Asthma, Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome (lumbar spine disability), Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Left and right retropatellar pain syndrome with frequent episodes of pain, locking, effusion, and impairment of flexion and extension (bilateral knee disabilities), Left and right shoulder tendinopathy, Degenerative joint disease, Impingement syndrome with residuals of acromioclavicular joint excision (bilateral shoulder disabilities), Right upper extremity (RUE) and left upper extremity (LUE) cervical radiculopathy associated with degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine (bilateral UE radiculopathy disabilities), Right and left elbow pain and crepitus (bilateral elbow disabilities), Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- May 8, 2024
- Citation
- A24024025
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 A24024025.
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 the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
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