The Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance has been granted due to his service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's loss of sense of smell is rated as 10 percent disabling, but the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The earlier effective date claims for anosmia (loss of smell) and bilateral automatic movements have been denied because there was no diagnosis prior to March 6, 2023.,The Veteran's sleep disturbances are rated as 10 percent disabling. A remand is necessary to provide an adequate VA examination based on the criteria under which it is rated.,The Veteran's Parkinson's disease with balance impairment, bradykinesia, bilateral lower extremities (left and right) requires a rating in excess of 40 percent.,The Veteran's left upper extremity bradykinesia requires a rating in excess of 20 percent.,The Veteran's speech impairments require ratings in excess of 10 percent for both sides.,The Veteran's stooped posture requires ratings in excess of 10 percent for both sides.,The Veteran's loss of automatic movements, left and right, requires compensable ratings.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support higher ratings or earlier effective dates for the conditions listed. A remand is necessary to provide an adequate VA examination for sleep disturbances.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of sense of smell, Parkinson's disease with balance impairment, bradykinesia, bilateral lower extremities, difficulty chewing and swallowing, bilaterally, left upper extremity bradykinesia, speech impairment, bilateral, stooped posture, bilateral
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 28, 2024
- Citation
- A24050942
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 A24050942.
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The Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates and increased ratings has been withdrawn by the Veteran's attorney, resulting in the dismissal of the appeal.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for loss of sense of taste, loss of sense of smell, and pelvic condition are denied. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder beyond unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder is also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's effective date for adding his mother as a dependent parent to his VA disability compensation award is granted, with the effective date being November 10, 2022.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial rating for loss of sense of smell associated with Parkinson's disease is denied. A 30 percent rating, but no higher, is granted for balance impairment associated with Parkinson's disease. The reductions in ratings for left and right upper extremity impairments are found to be improper and the previous ratings are restored.
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