The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral onychomycosis and an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the onychomycosis claim, and determined that the effective date of the 30 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss should be June 30, 2011.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no new and material evidence received within one year prior to the Veteran's death to reopen his onychomycosis claim. For the earlier effective date of the 30 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss, the Board found that the increase in disability did not occur within a year before the claim was filed.
- Claimed conditions
- onychomycosis, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147644
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).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- 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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