The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for loss of sense of smell and taste as secondary to service-connected allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's symptoms are already addressed in the current rating schedule, but a separate claim for secondary service connection is needed before extraschedular referral can be considered.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s symptoms of loss of sense of smell and taste were not exceptional or unusual impairments warranting an extraschedular rating. The criteria for secondary service connection need to be explored first.
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic Rhinitis, Loss of Sense of Smell, Loss of Sense of Taste
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20000945
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis, service connection for chronic sinusitis and bilateral tinnitus, granted a 50 percent initial rating for PTSD, and remanded the claims for an increased rating for PTSD and service connection for a somatic disorder.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted service connection for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and obstructive sleep apnea, and the initial evaluation for PTSD was increased to 70 percent. Chronic fatigue syndrome was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for allergic rhinitis and service connection for chronic sinusitis due to a lack of evidence supporting these conditions.
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.