The Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is granted. The claim is reopened, and to this extent only, the appeal is granted.,Entitlement to an effective date earlier than March 24, 2010, for the grant of service connection of left fifth cranial nerve deficit is denied.,The Veteran's claims for a skin disorder (claimed as skin rash on back and ears) and loss of taste secondary to fifth cranial nerve deficit are denied.,Entitlement to service connection for a dental disorder secondary to fifth cranial nerve damage is denied.,The Veteran’s erectile dysfunction is remanded for further evaluation, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between his depressive disorder and erectile dysfunction.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been received that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction.,There is no evidence showing that the Veteran had fifth cranial nerve deficit until March 2013, making March 24, 2010, the earliest effective date allowable under the law.,The Veteran does not have a current skin disorder and there is no separate disability for loss of taste. The symptoms are part of his Ramsay Hunt syndrome.,There is no evidence showing that the Veteran has a dental disability for which service connection can be granted.,A VA medical opinion is needed to determine whether the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is caused or aggravated by his service-connected depressive disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- erectile dysfunction, skin disorder (claimed as skin rash on back and ears), loss of taste secondary to fifth cranial nerve deficit, dental disorder secondary to fifth cranial nerve damage
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19131908
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding its etiology.
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The Board granted a 50 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and denied increased ratings for right shoulder impingement syndrome, hearing loss, painful scar, patellofemoral pain syndromes of the knees, and other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a head injury, headache disorder, erectile dysfunction, left earache disorder, chronic fatigue, right shoulder disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, right foot disorder, GERD, and left shoulder disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions.
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