Hepatitis C decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for hepatitis C was improper and has restored the award.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of his claims file.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, the residuals of hepatitis C, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus in an October 15, 2008 decision. The appellant's motion alleging clear and unmistakable error (CUE) was denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service and does not have a direct relationship to his military service. The claims for secondary service connection for cirrhosis of the liver and esophageal varices are also denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to hepatitis C.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C is at least as likely as not related to a blood transfusion in service, but denied the claim due to lack of evidence supporting this etiology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated during his active service and is not related to any in-service risk factors. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran claims that he contracted hepatitis C during military service, specifically from an air gun inoculation. The Board has determined that the July 2007 decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Detroit is not final and requires further development.

The Veteran's chronic headaches and fatigue are found to be secondary to his service-connected hepatitis C, and he is granted a higher rating for endocarditis.

The Board has ordered a remand to ensure that all relevant VA medical records have been obtained and to obtain an addendum opinion from the VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C, specifically addressing his reported in-service risk factors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his active service, specifically from air-gun injections and sharing of razors and toothbrushes in service. The appeal for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if hepatitis C is etiologically related to service, and for consideration of any new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his service, specifically blood exposure during active service and/or any immunizations by airgun injection. The AOJ will obtain relevant medical records and schedule a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for hepatitis C and is remanding her claim for unspecified benign neoplasms due to lack of current disability evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his hepatitis C was caused by air gun inoculations upon entry into service. The current evidence does not support a direct service connection, but there are plausible alternative theories of causation.

The Board has reviewed the Veteran's claims and determined that new evidence received since the prior denial does not establish service connection for any of his claimed conditions. The evidence is insufficient to support a finding of an undiagnosed illness or chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of outstanding medical records. The claims are related to his service-connected degenerative joint disease at L1/L2 with annular tear at L5/S1, bilateral hearing loss, and hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C was denied as there is no evidence of the disease during service or until many years after, and it is not shown to have been caused by any in-service event.

The Board has determined that a 10 percent evaluation is warranted for the service-connected hepatitis B and C, as the Veteran's symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for higher ratings under Diagnostic Codes 7345 and 7354. The noncompensable rating remains in effect.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and an addendum to the VA examination. The Veteran's hepatitis C may have begun during service or after.