The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for otitis media/externa of the right ear, left ear, and bilateral cerumen impaction due to duty-to-assist errors.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations were inadequate and there are outstanding private medical records that need to be obtained.
- Claimed conditions
- otitis media/externa, bilateral cerumen impaction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2024
- Citation
- 24005282
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 24005282.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and updated earnings information.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Meniere's disease, otitis media/externa, and impacted cerumen. The evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these disabilities began during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral cerumen impaction prior to February 4, 2023 is being remanded due to the failure of the Veteran to attend scheduled VA examinations and her assertion of additional ear-related conditions. The case will be readjudicated after obtaining a retrospective opinion from an appropriate clinician.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for otitis media/externa is being remanded due to the failure to substantially comply with previous instructions, specifically regarding notification of a scheduled examination.
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