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.,The earliest effective date allowable under the law is March 24, 2010, as this is when the Veteran filed his claim for left fifth cranial nerve deficit.,There is no evidence of a current skin disorder or loss of taste that would warrant service connection.,There is no evidence of a dental disability secondary to the Veteran's fifth cranial nerve damage.,The Veteran has provided testimony regarding his depressive disorder impacting his ability to get an erection, and a VA medical opinion is needed to determine if this relationship exists.
- 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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran meets the basic medical eligibility criteria for PCAFC benefits due to his need for personal care services based on symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment or injury. However, further clinical evaluation is needed to determine if participation in the program is in the Veteran's best interest.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus type II (DM II), hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected DM II. The Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during active service is presumed.
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