The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for a sinus condition, which is secondary to service-connected traumatic deviated nasal septum status post septoplasty. The Veteran seeks service connection for various sinus conditions including chronic maxillary sinusitis with intermittent epistaxis, bilateral maxillary sinus polyps, chronic allergic sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis.
The deciding factor: The Board found the medical opinions inadequate as they did not address all currently-diagnosed sinus conditions or consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service onset of symptoms following septoplasty.
- Claimed conditions
- sinus condition, chronic maxillary sinusitis with intermittent epistaxis, bilateral maxillary sinus polyps, chronic allergic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21061298
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21061298.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of SMC based on aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examination provided in April 2024 was inadequate for adjudication purposes and remands the case for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's sinus condition is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete findings and failure to properly address the onset, cause, and nature of his conditions. The VA will need to schedule examinations to determine if his rhinitis and bilateral hand disabilities are related to service.
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