The Veteran was granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o)-level based on two distinct SMC(l) awards, and a higher level of SMC at the (r)(2) level for any point during the review period that he was not hospitalized in a hospice or nursing home at the government's expense.
The deciding factor: The Veteran required regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, which met the criteria for SMC(o). Additionally, the need for daily care by a licensed professional warranted an increased level of SMC(r)(2).
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Hearing Loss, Bronchiectasis with calcified pulmonary nodule, Gunshot wound of the heart with myocardial infarction and tear of right ventricular due to trauma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2025
- Citation
- A25047871
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 remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of February 21, 2007, for the award of service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder with anxious distress.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), as the Veteran's symptoms most nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
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