The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding whether his loss of sense of smell and altered taste are related to his service-connected migraines and in-service head trauma. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the December 2006 fall and resulting head trauma that occurred during service, which may have contributed to the Veteran's loss of sense of smell and altered taste.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals from nasal septoplasty, loss of sense of smell, altered taste
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20000009
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD and an initial 20 percent rating for dry eye syndrome with pinguecula, while denying service connection for other psychiatric disorders, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and multiple musculoskeletal conditions. Some claims were remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 28, 2015 for the awards of service connection for various conditions including Parkinson's disease with weakness, tremor, and bradykinesia of the left upper extremity; right upper extremity weakness with tremor and bradykinesia (major); depressive disorder with sleep impairment; right lower extremity weakness with bradykinesia, muscle rigidity, and balance impairment; left lower extremity balance impairment with muscle rigidity; speech changes, right CN-10; speech changes, left CN-10; stooped posture, right CN-11; stooped posture, left CN-11; erectile dysfunction; constipation; loss of sense of smell; and right automatic movements, CN-7; left automatic movements, CN-7.
- Dismissed
All appeals for higher initial ratings and service connection were dismissed as they were duplicative of previously addressed appeals or due to untimely filings.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions effective April 16, 2007, but no earlier, and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for constipation. SMC based on the need for aid and attendance was granted from August 30, 2013.
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