The veteran appealed the effective date for service connection granted for bilateral hearing loss, which was originally dated February 10, 1999. The Board found that an effective date of August 2, 1991, should be assigned as this is when the veteran's claim to reopen his original denial was received.,The veteran also appealed the effective date for service connection granted for tinnitus, which was originally dated February 15, 2000. The Board found that an earlier effective date prior to August 2, 1991, could not be assigned as there were no documents prior to this date indicating a claim for tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The veteran's claims for service connection were originally denied in November 1965 and June 1983. The most recent final decision was the June 1983 rating decision, which became effective August 2, 1991 when the veteran filed a claim to reopen his original denial.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2007
- Citation
- 0700405
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 0700405.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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