The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) for aid and attendance from May 14, 2025 due to service-connected disabilities that rendered him in regular need of aid and assistance.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral lower and upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, left side weakness from a cerebrovascular accident, and other conditions, resulted in significant functional impairments requiring regular aid and attendance.
- Claimed conditions
- cerebrovascular accident associated with hypertension, loss of teeth associated with diabetes mellitus type II, left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve, diabetes mellitus type II, right upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve, left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the femoral nerve, right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the femoral nerve, tinnitus, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, right knee joint osteoarthritis, left knee joint osteoarthritis, left foot scar, bilateral hearing loss, left foot second digit total amputation, right knee joint osteoarthritis with limitation of extension, left knee joint osteoarthritis with limitation of extension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 22, 2026
- Citation
- A26005860
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 A26005860.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
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