The Board denied increased ratings for service-connected chronic otitis externa and perforated tympanic membrane, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for either condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show symptoms of swelling, dry and scaly external ear canal, serous discharge, or itching required for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6210 for chronic otitis externa. The perforated tympanic membrane was found to have resolved without any current symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic otitis externa, perforated tympanic membrane
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19195005
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19195005.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions were granted effective from July 1, 2020.
- Granted
The Veteran's chronic otitis externa has been rated at a 10 percent disability level, effective from the date of the decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to assess the current severity of her service-connected disabilities. The issues remain on appeal as they have not been finally decided.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic otitis externa, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the condition and the Veteran's active service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.