The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of left ear hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted, but the earliest possible effective date is determined based on when he filed his claim. The Board found that an effective date of February 18, 1987, for left ear hearing loss disability and September 2, 2004, for tinnitus are appropriate.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were not reopened until after the original denial in December 1977, and no earlier effective date is warranted as he did not file a claim prior to that time.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, left ear hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- June 9, 2015
- Citation
- 1524614
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 1524614.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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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