BVA decisions by condition
Middle ear disease: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a middle ear disease issue in 651 decisions. It granted the middle ear disease issue in 8.1% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 34.4%, and remanded it in 55.3%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 19.1% were granted.
Decisions
651
2017–2026
Granted
8.1%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
19.1%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
55.3%
Denied: 34.4%
Middle ear disease outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 92 | 3.3% | 40.2% | 56.5% | 0.0% |
| 2018 | 136 | 10.3% | 36.8% | 50.0% | 2.9% |
| 2019 | 105 | 6.7% | 33.3% | 55.2% | 4.8% |
| 2020 | 67 | 9.0% | 35.8% | 50.7% | 4.5% |
| 2021 | 54 | 11.1% | 33.3% | 51.9% | 3.7% |
| 2022 | 60 | 8.3% | 30.0% | 61.7% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 58 | 0.0% | 27.6% | 72.4% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 51 | 15.7% | 33.3% | 47.1% | 3.9% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied middle ear disease decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the middle ear disease issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 79 | 58.1% | 12.0% | +46.2 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 87 | 44.4% | 13.0% | +31.4 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 77 | 32.0% | 17.9% | +14.1 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 147 | 23.5% | 17.7% | +5.8 pts |
| Lay statement | 528 | 18.9% | 20.4% | −1.5 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 66.0% of the decisions that granted middle ear disease.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 34.0% of grants and 12.5% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often middle ear disease was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 314 | 17.3% | 21.3% | −3.9 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 464 | 16.9% | 28.8% | −12.0 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied middle ear disease
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established8
- Already at the maximum schedular rating2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis49
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim21
- Current diagnosis established15
- Service records negative or silent13
- Criteria for service connection not met9
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis8
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service7
- Already at the maximum schedular rating7
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent middle ear disease decisions
Granted
Competent and probative evidence tends to show condition incurred in service.; Service treatment records show complaints of cerumen impaction and ear infections during service.; Positive medical opinion from VA treating physician links condition to service.
Consistent lay statements regarding onset; Condition present during service; VA examiner opinion found inadequate
Veteran reported in-service symptoms of headaches, lightheadedness, dizziness, and tinnitus.; Symptoms persisted post-service and were consistent with later cholesteatoma diagnosis.; Benefit of the doubt applied due to approximate balance of evidence.
Denied
Normal hearing during service.; No in-service complaints or treatment for ear conditions.; VA opinions found less likely than not related to service.
No current disability for bleeding ears found; No objective evidence of bleeding ears; No evidence of functional impairment of earning capacity
No current diagnosis of otitis media.; Veteran confused about the condition at hearing.; No evidence of middle ear infections.
Rules that apply to middle ear disease claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your middle ear disease case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a middle ear disease issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.