The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral ear disability, including chronic ear infections, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners concluded that the Veteran does not suffer from a chronic ear condition due to his time in service and found the Veteran's statements regarding continuous symptoms since service are not credible.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ear disability, chronic ear infections
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20065191
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for peritoneal adhesions following injury or surgery of the stomach and bilateral ear disability was withdrawn by the Veteran.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all pending appeals before the Board promulgated a decision.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension and tinnitus, but denied service connection for depression, chronic ear infections, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), acne, arthritis, heart attack, thyroid disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, catarrhal fever (common cold), foot disability, ventral hernia, dental disability, and a rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder with bipolar spectrum disorder prior to January 3, 2025.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic ear infections and a left hamstring injury due to the lack of evidence supporting current diagnoses.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.