The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss. The RO granted service connection for residuals of a left index finger injury on July 31, 1985, after receiving a new claim from the veteran. Bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10% since April 14, 1999, and increased to 30% effective April 1, 2002.
The deciding factor: The RO found no clear and unmistakable error in the original decision that denied an earlier effective date for service connection. The veteran's hearing loss was rated based on the standard method under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of a left index finger injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 22, 2002
- Citation
- 0216894
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 0216894.
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
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