The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's loss of smell and taste as secondary to his service-connected amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The decision is based on the opinion that these symptoms are related to the ALS, despite some conflicting medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinions were found to be inadequate due to their failure to address the relationship between the tracheostomy and loss of smell or taste, leading the Board to find equipoise in this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of smell, loss of taste
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19178565
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran was awarded service connection for allergic rhinitis based on the PACT Act, but an earlier effective date prior to August 10, 2022, is not warranted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left foot joint arthritis, left ankle joint arthritis, right ankle joint arthritis, right foot joint arthritis, and loss of smell. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a higher rating for bilateral tinnitus.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected loss of smell as it was determined that the loss of smell did not meet the criteria for a complete loss, which is required for a 10 percent rating.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, TMJ and bruxism, and headaches but denied it for loss of smell.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.