The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for perforation of the left eardrum and increased ratings for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left hand and bilateral pes planus. The veteran was not granted any new or material evidence to reopen his claim for service connection, and his current disabilities were found to be related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no competent medical evidence linking the current perforated eardrum to a service-connected condition or an incident of service. The veteran's gunshot wound to the left hand resulted in permanent disability but did not meet the criteria for higher ratings due to functional impairment and degenerative changes. Bilateral pes planus was rated at 10%.
- Claimed conditions
- perforation of the left eardrum, gunshot wound to the left hand, bilateral pes planus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- September 15, 2000
- Citation
- 0024677
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 0024677.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus based on aggravation of a preexisting disability, but denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus, anemia, and gastritis as the conditions were not shown to be related to or aggravated by service.
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