The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for left ear disability, as the veteran's pre-existing condition was already considered in the October 1970 rating decision.
The deciding factor: The RO denied service connection because the veteran's left ear problem existed prior to active duty service and was not aggravated during service.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2002
- Citation
- 0217824
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 0217824.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for tinnitus and service connection for left ear, right ear, and hematospermia disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a right elbow disability and a right hand disability (carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes) but denied service connection for a left shoulder disability, a left finger disability, and a left ear disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a traumatic brain injury, left ear disability, right shoulder disability, and respiratory disability as there was no evidence of current disabilities or that these conditions were incurred in or caused by service. The claim for a neck disability was remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including acute sinusitis, cervical spine strain, and various musculoskeletal injuries, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury.
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