The Board remands the claim for service connection for chronic suppurative otitis media to ensure compliance with previous remand instructions.
The deciding factor: The examiner's opinions did not substantially comply with the July 2022 and February 2024 remand directives, specifically regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's ear condition, including otitis externa caused by constant cotton swabbing.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic suppurative otitis media
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2025
- Citation
- 25007681
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,199 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25007681.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for chronic suppurative otitis media as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the Veteran's reported symptoms are more likely due to post-service activities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 10 percent disability evaluation for chronic suppurative otitis media and denied an increase in the rating for tinnitus. The other claims were remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ear disability, finding that it is etiologically linked to in-service noise exposure. The appeal was successful.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for chronic suppurative otitis media and a noncompensable rating for a perforation of the tympanic membrane, while denying an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for otitis externa.
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