The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for impairment of rectal sphincter control and special monthly compensation (SMC(l)) based on aid and attendance/housebound due to the same condition, effective August 14, 2018.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had complete loss of sphincter control, which required regular aid and attendance due to service-connected right upper extremity radiculopathy and fecal incontinence.
- Claimed conditions
- Impairment of rectal sphincter control
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- December 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25108414
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 896 · Granted: 51% (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 A25108414.
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's service-connected impairment of rectal sphincter control is granted a 60 percent rating, effective December 10, 2017. The claim for TDIU is granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance is granted due to his service-connected disabilities, including bowel incontinence.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates for service connection for impairment of rectal sphincter control and anterior trunk scar painful, as the persuasive weight of the evidence does not support that these disabilities arose prior to May 10, 2022.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for SMC based on aid and attendance due to a full grant of benefits in October 2022. The claim for SMC based on housebound status was denied as the Veteran did not meet the statutory requirement of having a single service-connected disability rated at 100% disabling.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.