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Granted

The veteran's left ear otitis media was incurred in service and is now granted. The back disorder, however, did not begin in service or due to a service-connected disability and is therefore not service connected.

The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for the back disorder as it did not develop prior to service or due to a service-connected condition.

Claimed conditions
Left Ear Otitis Media, Degenerative Disc Disease with Arthritis of the Lumbosacral Spine
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
July 9, 2003
Citation
0315265

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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0315265.

What this means for you

A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.

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