The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for various service connection claims, including tinnitus, hearing loss, DMII, a lumbar sprain, left femur fracture, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities (sciatic and femoral nerves), and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity femoral nerve. The Board found that the earliest possible effective dates were May 7, 2013, when the Veteran filed his claims for service connection.
The deciding factor: The effective date for an award of service connection is based on when the claim was received by VA, not when the condition or disability occurred.
- Claimed conditions
- right knee total replacement, left knee total replacement, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), lumbar sprain, left femur fracture, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremity sciatic nerves, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity femoral nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22059468
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 22059468.
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'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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