Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Board denied the appellant's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as her claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, stroke, PTSD, depression, and cause of death. The Board found that no earlier effective date was warranted due to lack of evidence showing entitlement prior to February 23, 2011.

The deciding factor: The appellant did not provide any information suggesting the Veteran had post-service bilateral knee disabilities related to service or provided any medical evidence supporting such a claim. The Board found that no earlier effective date was warranted as there is no evidence of record showing entitlement prior to February 23, 2011.

Claimed conditions
bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
How they argued it
Reopened with new and material evidence
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
October 26, 2017
Citation
1748199

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 1748199.

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.

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.