The Veteran is seeking service connection for a left tympanic membrane disability and recurrent ear infections. The Board has determined that additional development, including a VA examination, is needed to properly adjudicate these claims.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim requires further medical evaluation to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- left tympanic membrane disability, recurrent ear infections
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2018
- Citation
- 1813708
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 1813708.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for TDIU and DEA benefits was granted. Service connection for recurrent ear infections was also granted. However, several disability rating increases were denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, recurrent ear infections, and migraine headaches is granted. The earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for migraine headaches is set at April 26, 2017. The Veteran's increased disability rating claim for migraine headaches is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, which may be related to in-service ear pathology including otitis externa and recurrent ear infections. The current claims are being returned for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on tinnitus and residuals of a laceration of the scalp have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded cases involving service connection, rating, and TDIU claims related to various conditions including PTSD, TBI, sinusitis, meningioma, and tympanic membrane disabilities.
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