The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates for his service-connected disabilities is dismissed as the earliest possible effective date, January 1, 2019, has already been assigned.
The deciding factor: The Veteran filed his claim within one year of separation and was granted service connection with an effective date of January 1, 2019, which is the day after his separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder, bilateral shoulder disorders, neck disorder, bilateral feet disorders, bilateral knee disorders, back disorder, hypertension, bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, tinnitus, actinic keratosis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, headache, left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2020
- Citation
- A20017273
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 A20017273.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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 case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
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