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
- Not verified here — check the original 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A20019427.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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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