The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus at an effective date prior to February 5, 2020 is denied.,The Veteran's claim for increased disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and an effective date prior to February 5, 2020 is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with substance use disorder is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not submit his claim within one year of separation from service, and there is no record that he submitted a claim related to tinnitus prior to February 5, 2020. As such, the Board finds an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is not warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, unspecified depressive disorder with substance use disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26039165
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 A26039165.
What this means for you
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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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