The Board granted a 10 percent rating for loss of smell effective September 28, 2023, and remanded the issue of entitlement to a compensable rating prior to September 23, 2024, and in excess of 30 percent after September 23, 2024, for common headache.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a rating in excess of 0 percent for loss of smell prior to the effective date of the granted rating, but there was sufficient evidence to remand the headache claim for further development and consideration without medication's ameliorative effects.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of taste, to include hypogeusia and ageusia, loss of smell, to include hyposmia and anosmia, common headache
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25049517
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran was awarded service connection for allergic rhinitis based on the PACT Act, but an earlier effective date prior to August 10, 2022, is not warranted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left foot joint arthritis, left ankle joint arthritis, right ankle joint arthritis, right foot joint arthritis, and loss of smell. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a higher rating for bilateral tinnitus.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected loss of smell as it was determined that the loss of smell did not meet the criteria for a complete loss, which is required for a 10 percent rating.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, TMJ and bruxism, and headaches but denied it for loss of smell.
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