The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for tinnitus and coronary artery disease were denied as the earliest date of entitlement was July 16, 2003 and April 14, 2005 respectively.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for dystrophic nails (claimed as brittle nails) and sleep apnea (due to herbicide exposure and/or secondary to coronary artery disease) were also denied.
The deciding factor: The effective dates of the awards could not be earlier than the dates of receipt of the claims, as these are the earliest dates of entitlement based on the Veteran's service records and presumptive exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, coronary artery disease, dystrophic nails (claimed as brittle nails), sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2014
- Citation
- 1417539
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 1417539.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- 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.
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