The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial compensable disability evaluation, but granted an effective date earlier than August 19, 2014, for the grant of service connection for bilateral tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not submit a claim for tinnitus prior to August 19, 2014, and his statement in March 2015 was made after he received the award of service connection for tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine disorder, bilateral hearing loss, degenerative joint disease of the fingers, an acquired psychiatric disorder (likely depression or anxiety), sciatic nerve disorder of the right lower extremity, sciatic nerve disorder of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2018
- Citation
- 1805250
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 1805250.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, as the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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