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
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20000945
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20000945.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is currently rated as 10 percent disabling prior to September 16, 2024 and noncompensable thereafter. The Board found the evidence against finding that his condition met the criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for allergic rhinitis was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6522.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA medical exams provided are inadequate for rating purposes and remands the case to obtain an adequate examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis. The Veteran is entitled to a higher disability rating for his service-connected allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Veteran's allergic rhinitis has not been manifested by greater than 50 percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side, and no nasal polyps have been found. Therefore, an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis is denied.
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