The Veteran's service-connected expressive aphasia with left hemiplegia is rated at a 100 percent initial rating effective October 4, 2024. The Veteran also receives SMC for complete organic aphonia with constant inability to communicate by speech, loss of use of the left arm, and loss of use of the left leg.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows a disability picture that more nearly approximates a 100 percent initial rating for service-connected expressive aphasia with left hemiplegia due to constant loss of speech. The Veteran also meets the criteria for SMC based on complete organic aphonia, loss of use of one arm and one leg, and blindness in both eyes.
- Claimed conditions
- expressive aphasia, left hemiplegia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26000466
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 A26000466.
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 claim for service connection for residuals of a stroke, including right side weakness and expressive aphasia, as secondary to hypertension, is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acute right cerebrovascular accident and left hemiplegia, including potential service connection based on exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for stroke, expressive aphasia, right median nerve paralysis, and right sciatic nerve paralysis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation.,Service connection was also granted for neurocognitive disorder as secondary to the same conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a neurological disorder, including Parkinson's disease and related conditions, due to lack of evidence showing exposure to herbicide agents during active duty in the Republic of Vietnam.
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