The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The examiner must assess the current degree of nasal passage obstruction and determine if the Veteran’s history of 'right nasal papilloma' and 'left nasal fibrous papule and hyperplastic sebaceous gland' results in greater than 50 percent obstruction on both sides or complete obstruction on one side.
The deciding factor: The examination report did not adequately consider all of the Veteran's symptomology associated with allergic rhinitis, specifically his history of 'right nasal papilloma' and 'left nasal fibrous papule and hyperplastic sebaceous gland'.
- Claimed conditions
- allergic rhinitis, right nasal papilloma, left nasal fibrous papule and hyperplastic sebaceous gland
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2019
- Citation
- A19000961
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 A19000961.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine pain, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent yeast infections. The claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder and left knee pain were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's allergic rhinitis, including whether there is any nasal obstruction or polyps.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, with the exception of remanding certain issues.
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