The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (l) level based on his need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and chronic fatigue syndrome.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in his incapacity, physical and mental, which requires care or assistance on a regular basis to protect him from hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Chronic fatigue syndrome, Left knee degenerative joint disease status post total knee replacement, Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine with IVDS status post fusion prior to August 15, 2018, and then rated at 20 percent thereafter, Degenerative disc disease with IVDS of the lumbar spine from September 28, 2017, Left face paresthesia prior to August 15, 2018, and an evaluation in excess of 10 percent thereafter, Surgical scar of the cervical spine, Right lower extremity radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, Left leg paresthesias
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- May 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25048255
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,990 · Granted: 35% (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 A25048255.
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 Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of July 10, 2024 for service connection for PTSD, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a contradiction in the AOJ's determinations regarding the Veteran's need for aid and assistance, which requires clarification. The remanded issues are entitlement to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another and on the basis of statutory housebound status.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
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