The Veteran was granted special monthly compensation at the (l) and (o) rates from August 12, 2013, based on his service-connected upper extremity rheumatoid arthritis. The back scar claim was also granted an effective date of August 12, 2013.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected bilateral upper extremity rheumatoid arthritis alone from August 12, 2013, warranted the grant of SMC at the (l) rate. The back scar was part and parcel of a larger claim and was present prior to August 12, 2013.
- Claimed conditions
- upper extremity rheumatoid arthritis, back scar, left long finger rheumatoid arthritis, left thumb rheumatoid arthritis, right long finger rheumatoid arthritis, right thumb rheumatoid arthritis, bilateral ring and little finger rheumatoid arthritis, low back trauma with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), left index finger rheumatoid arthritis, right index finger rheumatoid arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25038222
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,249 · Granted: 37% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25038222.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the August 2023 rating decision granting a TDIU was not an initial decision, making the appellant eligible for direct payment of fees from past due benefits awarded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the case to obtain VA examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a higher rating for radiculopathy left lower extremity and right lower extremity is dismissed.,The appeal seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed as already pending in the legacy system.,The appeal for TDIU prior to April 4, 2018, is dismissed as already pending in the legacy system.,The claim for a compensable rating for a scar on the back is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial ratings for his service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.
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