The Board has denied service connection for left tympanic membrane perforation and an initial compensable rating for right tympanic membrane perforation. The claim for otitis media is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided prior to the December 2019 rating decision was inadequate as it did not provide a rationale regarding whether the Veteran has an ear disability diagnosis and relied solely on lack of in-service documentation without considering specific medical evidence of record or the Veteran's history.
- Claimed conditions
- left tympanic membrane perforation, right tympanic membrane perforation (claimed as ear condition), otitis media (claimed as ear pain and drainage)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2020
- Citation
- A20019427
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 A20019427.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's left ear surgery for a perforated tympanic membrane resulted in a temporary total evaluation (TTE) from January 27, 2017 to March 31, 2017 due to the need for work-prohibiting medications.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left tympanic membrane perforation is a result of his active service and granted service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's left ear tympanic membrane perforation was caused by a VA procedure performed without informed consent, meeting the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the percentage requirements for award of a schedular TDIU, but the weight of the competent, probative evidence indicates that his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.
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