The Board has granted an earlier effective date of February 19, 2019 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran required regular care and assistance from a caregiver as early as June 2019, which affected his ability to perform daily activities such as dressing, feeding himself, attending to personal hygiene needs, and protecting himself from hazards. The Board found this at least in equipoise with the need for aid and attendance.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, bilateral pes planus, major depressive disorder, right shoulder disorder, right upper extremity radiculopathy, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, left knee disorders, right knee disorders (including a right knee scar), tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 38%
- Decision date
- February 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26016070
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 A26016070.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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