The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities cause him to require regular assistance to safely perform essential activities of daily living, meeting the criteria for SMC at the aid and attendance rate.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Coronary artery disease, Voiding dysfunction residuals of bladder cancer and erectile dysfunction (previously rated as active bladder cancer), Brain hemorrhage with upper left extremity muscle weakness associated with hypertension, Type 2 diabetes mellitus with diabetic neuropathy, Left lower extremity peripheral nerves associated with brain hemorrhage with left upper extremity muscle weakness, Tinnitus, Hypertension, Hoarseness and mild swallowing difficulties associated with brain hemorrhage with left upper extremity muscle weakness, Slight speech difficulties associated with brain hemorrhage with left upper extremity muscle weakness, Bowel function impairment associated with brain hemorrhage with left upper extremity muscle weakness, Left tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma with left neck squamous cell carcinoma, Hypothyroidism, Erectile dysfunction with brain hemorrhage with left upper extremity muscle weakness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25098962
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 845 · Granted: 39% (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 A25098962.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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