The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of the left upper extremity, as there was no evidence that his service-connected disabilities caused effective function remaining other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation with a prosthetic appliance.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners concluded that the Veteran's left upper extremity function is not so diminished that an amputation with prosthesis would equally serve him, and there was no competent contrary evidence of record.
- Claimed conditions
- Left elbow favorable ankylosis, Left elbow limitation of pronation, Left elbow limitation of extension, Left elbow limitation of flexion, Left upper extremity neuropathy, Left elbow scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25101319
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (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 A25101319.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed as the Veteran's request for a Higher-Level Review (HLR) of a March 2023 HLR rating decision was untimely and invalid. The claims for increased ratings for bilateral lower extremity neuropathy are denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for special monthly compensation based on housebound status and need for regular aid and attendance due to the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities. The evidence does not meet the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), both due to herbicide exposure, is granted.,Service connection for GERD secondary to PTSD is also granted. The Veteran has left lower extremity neuropathy but no current diagnosis of left upper or right lower extremity neuropathy.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension was not granted an earlier effective date than August 10, 2022.,Effective February 25, 2021, the Veteran is now eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance based on permanent and total disability status due to multiple service-connected disabilities.
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