Hepatitis C decisions — 2008

The Board found no evidence to support a connection between the veteran's service and his current Hepatitis C, including exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides. The claim was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and PTSD, finding that there was no credible evidence to support these conditions as being related to his military service.

The veteran's claim of service connection for a skin disorder other than chloracne was denied in March 1995, and the Board found that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen this claim. The veteran's hypertension was not related to service or secondary to any service-connected disability. The veteran's Hepatitis C was not related to service.,The veteran's hypertension is not related to service as there is no evidence of its onset during service, and the preponderance of the evidence indicates that it developed many years after separation from service.

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and his hepatitis C infection is considered to be due to his own drug use during service. The claim for accrued benefits based on direct service connection must be denied.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims for PTSD, hepatitis C, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The VA examinations did not find a nexus between these conditions and service.

VA determined that the veteran's Hepatitis C did not develop in or is otherwise related to his military service. For chronic conjunctivitis, chronic sinusitis, pterygium of the right eye, and a right calf growth, VA found that there was no evidence showing these conditions were caused by or worsened during service.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an opinion from a physician regarding the etiology of the veteran's hepatitis C, as it relates to service.

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

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C, finding that there is no evidence linking the condition to military service.

The Board denied service connection for depression and hepatitis C with liver damage, finding no evidence of a current disability or relationship to military service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C, for accrued benefits purposes; entitlement to an effective date prior to October 11, 2000, for an initial rating of 100 percent for PTSD on a schedular basis or on the basis of a total compensation evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU), and entitlement to service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The appellant did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder, low back pain, and hepatitis C.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated in service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is most likely caused by his illicit intravenous drug use during military service, and therefore denied service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and hepatitis C are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence, including obtaining private medical records and verifying in-service stressors.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of hepatitis A or C, nor do they have related residuals. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, while his claim for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is denied due to lack of in-service exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues, including scheduling a hearing for the veteran who is currently incarcerated.

The veteran's hepatitis C and adjustment disorder have been service-connected, but the hepatitis C does not warrant a higher than 30 percent rating. The adjustment disorder has been granted a 30 percent rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the submission of additional pertinent medical evidence and new evidence since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).