The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of heart, left hand, and right hand disabilities have been denied.,The claim for TDIU has also been denied as the effective date is not earlier than February 3, 2023.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were submitted after the applicable one-year period from separation from service or the date entitlement arose. The effective dates are set based on when the claims were received.,For TDIU, the effective date is fixed at the earliest date as of which it is factually ascertainable that an increase in disability had occurred.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Disability, Left Hand Disability, Right Hand Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2026
- Citation
- A26024017
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 A26024017.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Granted
The Veteran's heart disability has been rated at 100% from September 12, 2022 to August 18, 2023. He is also eligible for special monthly compensation and Dependents' Educational Assistance during this period.
- Denied
The Veteran's heart disability is currently rated at 60 percent from February 24, 2023.,The effective date for the grant of TDIU was set to February 24, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the current evidence is insufficient to establish service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities, and thus remands the claims for further development.
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