Hepatitis C decisions — 2014

The Veteran's hepatitis C is found to have its onset in service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for psychiatric disability, including PTSD; left shoulder disability; hepatitis C; and diabetes mellitus. The Board found no probative value in the Veteran's allegations of an in-service injury that resulted in chronic disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for diabetes was denied, but the Board found new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for hepatitis C.,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since August 31, 2004.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's hepatitis C to his military service and denied the claim.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hepatitis C and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an addendum medical opinion and consideration of recent evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and vertigo. The claim of service connection for asthma is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C. The case is being remanded for further examination and consideration.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the Veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis C, as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence showing an etiological relationship between his current diagnosis and in-service viral hepatitis or other incident of service.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis B but granted service connection for hepatitis C. The current chronic HCV infection is not related to the in-service HBV infection.

The Veteran's death was due to end stage liver disease, which is not service-connected. His hepatitis C was also not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete information and records, including a need for clarification on exposure to toxins while in Germany, obtaining SSA records, and updating VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicts in the Veteran's representative and for a new VA examination regarding the etiology of his hepatitis C.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing the Veteran with proper VCAA notice. The issues of service connection for a bilateral knee disability and hepatitis C are also being remanded as they were not properly adjudicated on their de novo basis.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an examination to determine if hepatitis C is related to service, specifically jet injections. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as attempting to obtain in-patient hospitalization records from Germany. The Veteran's lower back disorder and hepatitis are being examined by a VA examiner to determine their etiology.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of pneumonia and hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are not related to his military service. Service connection for bilateral wrist carpal tunnel syndrome is not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeals of the determinations in the October 2010 and March 2012 rating decisions.