The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates have been denied as the earliest date of entitlement is the day following his discharge from active duty.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinnitus has been denied as there is no legal basis to assign a higher rating.
The deciding factor: There was no indication that the Veteran initiated claims prior to April 2014, and VA benefits were not authorized as a matter of law until after his discharge from active duty on December 17, 2014. The effective date for the grant of service connection is therefore set at the day following his discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea with asthma, undifferentiated and rheumatoid arthritis of the bilateral wrists, hands, knees, and feet, with gout, left foot hallux valgus, right foot hallux valgus, right foot hammer toe, left shoulder impingement syndrome, left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 28, 2018
- Citation
- 18153120
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 18153120.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for onychomycosis was denied as the condition did not require treatment and covered less than 5% of his body. The Board also remanded issues regarding service connection for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for shin splints, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), stomach disability, and left ear hearing loss due to errors in providing notice of the right to a hearing.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of sleep apnea, left lower extremity (LLE) sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and right ear hearing loss due to untimely filing.,The Board also dismissed the appeal for service connection of left ear hearing loss as moot because it was already granted in a prior decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran does not have left ear hearing loss for VA purposes.
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