The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of September 18, 1997 for a 10 percent rating for tinnitus. The evidence did not support an earlier effective date as the veteran's tinnitus was intermittent prior to September 18, 1998.
The deciding factor: The veteran's tinnitus was described as intermittent in nature until his November 1998 VA examination when he reported that it had become constant. The earliest credible evidence of a persistent condition is from the date of claim on December 10, 1987, but the Board found no evidence supporting an earlier effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 21, 2002
- Citation
- 0210219
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 0210219.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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