Hepatitis C decisions — 2002

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C infection is not attributable to military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in active service and denied his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's current hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The veteran's hepatitis C was initially evaluated at 10 percent and later increased to 30 percent effective from November 5, 1999. The low back disability was initially evaluated at 10 percent and is currently rated as 40 percent disabling since March 22, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an effective date prior to November 25, 1996 for hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver and remanded his other service connection claims. The veteran is also referred to obtain VA treatment records from December 1999 onwards.

The VA denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of evidence showing that his bronchial asthma caused or contributed to his death, and because there was no evidence linking liver disease to service.

The Board has reopened the claims for urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, tremors, and Hepatitis C secondary to service-connected coccygodynia. However, the evidence does not establish a direct link between these conditions and the veteran's service-connected condition.