The Board has determined that a compensable rating for bilateral otitis media, with hearing loss, is denied. The issues involving the ratings of the veteran's right knee and right shoulder disorders will be addressed in the remand portion of this decision.
The deciding factor: The VA examination report shows no active ear disease present, but the veteran has been service connected for ear disease including hearing loss. A compensable rating for the ear disorders alone is not warranted without findings of active disease. However, a compensable rating on the basis of bilateral hearing loss may still be awarded.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral otitis media, Right knee strain, AC joint separation and strain of the right shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2000
- Citation
- 0006979
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 0006979.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, while remanding claims for depression, anxiety, sleep disorder, right knee strain, left knee strain, and lumbar spine strain.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, right knee strain, and left knee strain on a direct basis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right foot residuals of hallux valgus, status post-surgery and a rating of 70 percent for major depressive disorder from December 7, 2022. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, facial numbness (Bell's palsy), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and right knee strain. The claims for a left knee strain, major depressive disorder with anxious distress, cervical neck strain, lumbosacral strain, and bilateral foot disability were remanded.
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