The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected nasal septal deviation and left vestibular stenosis is being remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination.
The deciding factor: There was pre-decisional error in not affording the Veteran an updated VA examination, which should have been done to ensure an accurate depiction of his current disability status.
- Claimed conditions
- nasal septal deviation, left vestibular stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26025607
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 A26025607.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a nasal septal deviation and granted an effective date of July 12, 2013, but no earlier, for the award of service connection for allergic rhinitis.
- Granted
The Veteran's maxillary sinusitis with allergic rhinitis and sinus headaches are granted a 50% rating effective December 12, 2015. The claim of an initial compensable rating for nasal septal deviation is denied. The claim of entitlement to a higher rating for obstructive sleep apnea is denied. The claim of entitlement to a higher rating for tinnitus is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing before a Decision Review Officer at the RO to address his claims of increased rating for nasal septal deviation and entitlement to TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination for his feet and nasal septum, scheduling the Veteran for a Travel Board hearing, and completing any other necessary development.
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