The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, thus granting special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports that the Veteran is unable to dress or undress himself, keep himself ordinarily clean and presentable, feed himself due to a loss of coordination or extreme weakness, and protect himself from the hazards and dangers of daily life and environment.
- Claimed conditions
- Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood associated with Thoracolumbar Strain with Intervertebral Disc Syndrome and Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Thoracolumbar Strain with IVDS and Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Left and Right Shoulder Impingement Syndrome, Rotator Cuff Tear and Tendonitis, Glenohumeral Joint Osteoarthritis, Acromioclavicular Joint Osteoarthritis and Bursitis, Radiculopathy, Left and Right Lower Extremity (Sciatic Nerve), Right and Left Elbow Osteoarthritis, Calcific Tendinitis, Degenerative Arthritis Limited Flexion, Left and Right Thumb Condition, Left Long Finger, Right Index Finger, Left Index Finger, and Right Long Finger Condition, Tinnitus, Lateral Collateral Ligament Sprain, Right, Left and Right Knee Degenerative Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2025
- Citation
- A25047611
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to a lack of jurisdiction.
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