The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for Meniere's disease with right ear hearing loss and tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence that she filed a formal or informal claim prior to December 2007, which is when her increased rating claim for hearing loss was received. The earliest possible effective date would be December 13, 2006, but the RO assigned February 26, 2007 as it was within one year of that date and indicated in a private treatment record that she had lost essentially all her hearing from the right ear due to Meniere's disease.
The deciding factor: The effective date for an award of service connection cannot be earlier than the date of receipt of claim unless there is clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a prior decision. In this case, no CUE was found, and the Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim for Meniere's disease prior to December 2007.
- Claimed conditions
- Meniere's disease, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2014
- Citation
- 1422991
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 1422991.
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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.