The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and COPD were not considered until October 3, 2019, which is more than a year after the June 25, 2018 intent to file. As a result, these claims are denied as they do not meet the requirement of being filed within one year of the intent to file.,The Veteran's claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) was also considered on October 3, 2019, and since he does not have a permanent total disability rating prior to that date, his DEA claim is denied.
The deciding factor: The claims were not filed within the one-year period following the intent to file.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2026
- Citation
- A26029052
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 A26029052.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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