Hepatitis C decisions — 2008

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C in July 2004, finding that the veteran's post-service activities were more likely than his in-service activities to have caused his condition. The claim was reopened and new evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the case to consider whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for hepatitis C, hearing loss, liver disease, residuals of a head injury, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The RO denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding no evidence linking the condition to his military service.

The VA examiner determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is not due to a 2003 VA blood transfusion, and thus does not meet the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to the veteran's service for his left eye condition.,There is also no medical evidence linking hepatitis C with periportal fibrosis to his military service.

The VA determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated during his military service and denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service and is unrelated to any service-connected condition. The claim for service connection for hepatitis C is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred during service and is more likely due to post-service risk factors, including intravenous drug use.

The Board found no evidence of current diagnoses or etiological links between the veteran's claimed conditions and his active service, leading to a denial of all claims.

The Board found that the cause of death was not service-connected and denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the veteran's current low back disability is not related to service, and his hepatitis C was likely contracted in service. The claim for a low back disability is denied, while the claim for hepatitis C is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including considering in-service hepatitis C risk factors and obtaining a reassessment of the cause of death opinion from Dr. R.T.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for post traumatic stress disorder, hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver, and diabetes mellitus was dismissed as he did not file a timely substantive appeal.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of a cervical spine disability due to lack of a timely substantive appeal. The claims for left shoulder disability and hepatitis C were also denied as there was no evidence showing they were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service and her cervical and lumbar spine disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in or related to his active military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new hearing before a Veterans Law Judge of the Board at the RO.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including consideration of whether an extraschedular rating is warranted.

The Board found no evidence of hepatitis C in service and denied the claim for service connection. The earlier effective date claim for tinnitus was also denied.