Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appellant's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for spine cancer and hepatitis C as they were deemed to be 'freestanding' effective date claims, which are not allowed.
The deciding factor: The September 2011 rating decision that assigned the effective dates for these awards has already become final, and there is no valid claim for an earlier effective date under the rules governing such claims.
- Claimed conditions
- spine cancer (claimed as back pain), hepatitis C (to include loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2025
- Citation
- A25010698
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