The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for loss of sense of smell, finding that it was not incurred during his active military service and is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected disability from allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.
The deciding factor: The veteran does not have total loss of sense of smell which would entitle him to compensable disability separate from the disability associated with his service-connected allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, and there is no evidence that his claimed loss of smell is related to any disease or injury he incurred during his active military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Loss of sense of smell
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2002
- Citation
- 0216186
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 0216186.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 30, 2014, for the award of service connection for major depressive disorder and several other conditions related to Parkinson's disease.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board granted readjudication of the claim for service connection for loss of sense of smell due to new and relevant evidence, but remanded it for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss, as well as his claims for service connection for a disability manifested by the loss of sense of smell, chronic headaches, and bilateral foot disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to a lack of proper notice and scheduling of VA examinations.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.