The Board has remanded the claims for allergic rhinitis and sinus disability to obtain addendum opinions addressing whether these conditions are secondary to the service-connected nasal bone fracture.
The deciding factor: VA medical opinions on secondary service connection must sufficiently address both causation and aggravation, as demonstrated by the previous inadequate opinion in the November 2019 examination report.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Bilateral Hearing Loss"}, {"condition_name":"Tinnitus"}, {"condition_name":"Nasal Bone Fracture Residuals"}, {"condition_name":"Oblique Glabellar Scar"}, {"condition_name":"Eczema with Seborrhea"}, {"condition_name":"Allergic Rhinitis"}, {"condition_name":"Sinus Disability"}
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20068175
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.