The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral otitis externa, postoperative chronic left ear mastoiditis with hearing loss. The RO previously denied this claim in August 1977, which is considered final.
The deciding factor: The evidence submitted since the last denial does not meet the criteria for being new and material as it fails to bear directly and substantially upon the specific matter under consideration.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral otitis externa, postoperative chronic left ear mastoiditis with hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 29, 2003
- Citation
- 0325610
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 0325610.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for skin cancer and assigned a 40 percent disability rating for left shoulder strain, while denying service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, flatfoot bilateral, erectile dysfunction, and other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the motion to revise a November 1976 rating decision that granted service connection for bilateral otitis externa with a noncompensable rating on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the remand instructions were not fulfilled and this matter must be returned for further development, including securing an adequate VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of bilateral hearing loss.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine, left ankle deltoid ligament sprain, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, bilateral otitis externa, eczema, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain with osteoarthritis, tinnitus, left varicocele, and cystitis, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
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