The Board has remanded the cases for further development to verify the Veteran's service periods and obtain relevant medical records. The issues of reopening claims for head trauma, nasal problems (excluding rhinitis and sinusitis), and a deviated septum are still pending.
The deciding factor: The AOJ failed to verify the Veteran's service periods from 1984 to 1985 and from 1997 to 1999, as well as any line of duty determinations related to his injuries during these periods. These are necessary for proper adjudication.
- Claimed conditions
- head trauma, nasal problems (excluding rhinitis and sinusitis), deviated septum
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 24, 2021
- Citation
- 21070499
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 21070499.
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 a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a deviated septum and right wrist pain, while denying service connection for sleep apnea. The decision also addressed various rating issues and effective dates.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease, a deviated septum, and GERD as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder. The claim for hypothyroidism was remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for deviated septum, as he is already receiving the maximum rating provided under Diagnostic Code 6502.
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