The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The claim for service connection for gastritis and GERD, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss was granted with an effective date of May 17, 2011.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not timely file a substantive appeal for the issues of tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, and gastritis/GERD within one year after separation from service or within the applicable appeal period. The earliest possible request to reopen these claims was on May 17, 2011.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"tinnitus"}, {"condition_name":"left ear hearing loss"}, {"condition_name":"gastritis and GERD"}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20070615
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
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