The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for sinusitis is denied as there was no formal or informal claim prior to August 9, 2023.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his sinusitis is denied as he is already in receipt of the highest schedular rating for this condition.,Service connection for a left knee disorder is denied due to lack of diagnosed left knee pathology and no evidence linking it to service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied because there is no indication that it might be related to service or caused by a service-connected disability.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and anxiety, is denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Service connection for right and left arm disorders is denied as there is no diagnosed condition in the record.
The deciding factor: The effective date for service connection cannot be earlier than August 9, 2023, as there was no formal or informal claim prior to this date.,The Veteran's sinusitis rating is already at its maximum schedular rating of 50 percent.,There is no diagnosed left knee disorder in the record and no evidence linking it to service or a service-connected disability.,No evidence indicates that sleep apnea might be related to service or caused by a service-connected disability.,The acquired psychiatric disorders are not linked to service based on the available evidence.,Right and left arm disorders have not been diagnosed in the record.
- Claimed conditions
- sinusitis, left knee disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, right arm disorder, left arm disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2026
- Citation
- A26009629
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 A26009629.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and has ordered the case back to the AOJ for proper notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
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