The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied in December 2015, and the effective date of the current grant of service connection is November 13, 2024. The Board found no earlier effective date as the earliest possible effective date is when the Veteran filed his VA Form 21-526EZ claim on November 5, 2024.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran did not file a prior claim for service connection before the December 2015 denial and thus could not receive an earlier effective date based on any previous claim. The earliest possible effective date is when the Veteran filed his VA Form 21-526EZ claim in November 2024.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2026
- Citation
- A26011579
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 A26011579.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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