The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, back disability, and various peripheral neuropathies, render him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his inability to perform daily activities independently. The Board found that the evidence was in balance, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran, granting SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a stroke affecting mobility and balance, rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his inability to perform daily activities independently. The Board found that reasonable doubt should be resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), back disability, diabetes mellitus with diabetic nephropathy, right eye cataract, and erectile dysfunction, right knee disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, tinnitus, hypertension, dermatitis, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- March 6, 2026
- Citation
- A26020456
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 A26020456.
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 Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- 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.
- 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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