The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the level specified in 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(1) due to service-connected bilateral upper and lower extremity weakness, which requires regular aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's two independent service-connected disabilities of bilateral upper and lower extremity weakness independently require the need for regular aid and attendance, qualifying him for SMC at the rate specified in 38 U.S.C. 1114(r)(1).
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Upper Extremity Weakness, Bilateral Lower Extremity Weakness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- February 2, 2026
- Citation
- A26009336
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 A26009336.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has directed an addendum medical opinion due to the August 2017 addendum opinion not identifying alternative neurological or psychiatric disorders and not analyzing whether the Veteran has any current neurological disorders other than MS. The Court also noted that the May 1984 VA neuropsychiatric examination did not support the diagnosis of MS.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral upper extremity weakness and peripheral sensory neuropathy of both lower extremities, finding that there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to his service or service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for peripheral sensory neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities were also denied by the Board.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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