The veteran's claims for increased ratings for right trigeminal and facial nerve damage, as well as loss of sense of taste secondary to parotidectomy, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed no significant change in the veteran's disability level throughout the appeal period and did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Trigeminal (5th Cranial) Nerve Damage, Right Facial (7th Cranial) Nerve Damage, Loss of Sense of Taste
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2008
- Citation
- 0825937
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 0825937.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but no higher. The loss of sense of smell and taste are both denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for loss of sense of smell and taste as secondary to service-connected allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's symptoms are already addressed in the current rating schedule, but a separate claim for secondary service connection is needed before extraschedular referral can be considered.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for loss of sense of taste secondary to service-connected sinusitis, effective June 30, 2014. The rating assigned is 10 percent.
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