The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic lower back pain due to untimely filing of a Notice of Disagreement. The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it resulted from active duty service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran failed to file a timely Notice of Disagreement for his claim of chronic lower back pain and dismissed this issue. For tinnitus, the Board noted the Veteran's exposure to hazardous noise during service and current diagnosis, along with evidence suggesting continuity of symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lower back pain, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2026
- Citation
- A26012816
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 A26012816.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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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