The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a deviated septum and chronic ear infections with continued drainage and loss of smell and taste, finding that there is no evidence to support these conditions as being related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA opinions found no in-service injury or event that caused current symptoms, and the Veteran's ongoing issues are more likely due to other factors such as allergies and upper respiratory infections.
- Claimed conditions
- Deviated Septum, Chronic Ear Infections with Continued Drainage and Loss of Smell and Taste
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19146652
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including erectile dysfunction, lumbar spine disability, hip disabilities, restless leg syndrome, hand tremors, deviated septum, hemorrhoids, and bilateral hearing loss, due to a need for additional development of evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and deviated septum to obtain new medical opinions addressing their relationship, if any, to the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues, including increased ratings for PTSD and tinnitus, a TDIU determination, service connection claims, and effective date determinations. The Board found that the Veteran submitted a timely substantive appeal to the January 2015 Statements of the Case (SOCs).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for asthma, deviated septum, and a heart disability due to duty to assist errors. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions based on exposure to diesel fuel and other fumes during his military service.
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