The Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to February 23, 2010 for the grants of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee and tinnitus are denied. The claim for bilateral hearing loss disability is pending as VA treatment records are needed. The claim for increased rating for generalized anxiety disorder is pending as VA treatment records are needed.
The deciding factor: The effective date for the grants of service connection was determined to be February 23, 2010 due to the Veteran's failure to timely appeal the August 2008 denial. The claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and increased rating for generalized anxiety disorder remain pending as VA treatment records are needed.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease of the left knee, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2015
- Citation
- 1513697
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 1513697.
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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