The Board remands the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to an unclear VA examination report.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error to obtain an additional examination for clarification purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Coronary Artery Disease, Sleep Apnea, Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Bilateral Diabetic Polyneuropathy, Tinnitus, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Anemia, Hypertension, Bilateral Peripheral Artery Disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25024714
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
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