The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 27, 2013 for tinnitus is denied as there was no communication prior to that date indicating intent to apply for service connection.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than June 27, 2006 for psychiatric disorder (post-traumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder) is dismissed as a matter of law due to the finality of the April 2007 rating decision awarding service connection and assigning a noncompensable rating.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 21, 2014 for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as there was no evidence showing that any increase in disability or additional disability following the May 2011 left long finger trigger release was proximately due to VA's fault.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for multiple actinic keratoses and melanoma is remanded as there was no evidence showing that any increase in disability or additional disability following the May 2011 left long finger trigger release was proximately due to VA's fault.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is remanded as there was no evidence showing that any increase in disability or additional disability following the May 2011 left long finger trigger release was proximately due to VA's fault.
The deciding factor: The effective date of an award of service connection for tinnitus cannot be earlier than February 27, 2013 as there is no communication prior to that date indicating intent to apply for service connection.,The April 2007 rating decision awarded service connection and assigned a noncompensable rating for psychiatric disorder (post-traumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder) effective June 27, 2006. The claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date than June 27, 2006 is dismissed as a matter of law.,The increase in disability or additional disability following the May 2011 left long finger trigger release was not proximately due to VA's fault as there was no evidence showing that any increase in disability or additional disability was caused by VA personnel's carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault.,The increase in disability or additional disability following the May 2011 left long finger trigger release was not proximately due to VA's fault as there was no evidence showing that any increase in disability or additional disability was caused by VA personnel's carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault.,The increase in disability or additional disability following the May 2011 left long finger trigger release was not proximately due to VA's fault as there was no evidence showing that any increase in disability or additional disability was caused by VA personnel's carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, psychiatric disorder (post-traumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder), bilateral hearing loss, multiple actinic keratoses and melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22013820
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 22013820.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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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