Hepatitis C decisions — 2015

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and awarded a 40 percent rating for diabetes mellitus, type II with diabetic macular edema of the left eye and plantar callus formation of the bilateral heels and hypertension. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between any of his conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated at 40 percent since July 2, 2012. The symptoms have included daily fatigue and malaise, right upper quadrant pain, nausea, arthralgia, intermittent vomiting, and minor hepatomegaly with incapacitating episodes lasting less than six weeks in the past year.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical records and provide a VA physician with information about the Veteran's treatment at Medical City Dallas Hospital. The goal is to determine if hepatitis C, which was linked to an in-service blood transfusion, contributed to death. Additionally, it will be determined whether part of the lung removed during service had any impact on health.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection and a 10% rating for Hepatitis C prior to December 11, 2012. A 20% rating is assigned effective July 10, 2010. The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hepatitis C, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities (carpal tunnel syndrome), or peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of PTSD was granted, with a rating of 50 percent. The Veteran's service-connected conditions include PTSD, hypertension, and hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C as a result of Agent Orange exposure was previously denied due to willful misconduct. The current appeal is based on the theory that it is secondary to PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and service treatment records, as well as conducting a VA examination. The Veteran's claims will be re-adjudicated after this development.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder and therefore, service connection for this condition cannot be granted. The Veteran's claim for increased rating for Hepatitis C and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities remains pending.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and no decisions were made regarding the claims.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, DIC compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, and accrued benefits for hepatitis C due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service or VA treatment.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the Veteran's current diagnosis of hepatitis C to his active duty service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected PTSD, which prevents him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.