The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for ear infections, finding that there was no current disability and no evidence of a nexus between the in-service ear infections and any current condition.
The deciding factor: The June 2021 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's reported history of middle ear infection post-service is unrelated to acute ear infections during service. The Board gave more weight to this opinion over the veteran's assertions due to its thorough review of the claims file and medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- ear infections
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22001339
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 veteran's appeal for service connection and disability ratings was dismissed because the veteran withdrew the appeal.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus was denied. Service connection was granted for ear infections, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and hypertension. Claims for fatigue, body aches, joint pain were denied. Claims for left and right lower shin splints were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that it was aggravated by the Veteran's active-duty service. The claims for an ear condition and left ear hearing loss were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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