The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for hearing loss is dismissed as a freestanding claim.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for adjustment disorder with depression, left upper extremity weakness, and right upper extremity weakness are denied because the earliest effective dates have already been assigned.
The deciding factor: The May 2007 rating decision that granted service connection for hearing loss caused by a stroke secondary to diabetes mellitus became final as the Veteran did not file an NOD within one year of the decision.,The February and April 2017 decisions granting service connection for bilateral upper extremity weakness and adjustment disorder with depression were received on April 25, 2016, which is the earliest effective date that can be assigned.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss, Adjustment Disorder with Depression, Left Upper Extremity Weakness (Residual of Stroke), Right Upper Extremity Weakness (Residual of Stroke)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2021
- Citation
- A21018930
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 A21018930.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral hearing disability for VA purposes, and the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability at any time during or recent to the filing of his claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, asthma, and foot conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history throughout the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets VA's criteria for a disability.
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