Hepatitis C decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his active service, and denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD, and his unspecified pulmonary disorder is not service-connected. The claim for hepatitis C was denied as it did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board found that hepatitis C is not related to service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the medical opinions provided are in relative equipoise, and service connection is granted for hepatitis C.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, but finds that there is not sufficient evidence to establish a nexus between his current condition and military service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to service.

The Veteran's hepatitis C disability is currently rated at 40 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7354. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against finding daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia with substantial weight loss and hepatomegaly or incapacitating episodes.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C preexisted his military service and was not aggravated by it, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left eye disability and hepatitis C, finding that there was no evidence to support these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including new VA medical examinations to address whether the Veteran's hepatitis or emphysema had onset during service and were caused by his active service. The appeal is now pending again with the AOJ.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated at 10 percent since October 2005. The evidence does not support a higher rating as the symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that hepatitis C is attributable to service and grants the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's initial rating for hepatitis C was granted and rated as cirrhosis of the liver, with a 50% rating effective January 2013. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus disability has been rated at 20%, but is denied an increased rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to service or any service-connected disability, and therefore denied his claim.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded the case to obtain a medical opinion regarding his HCV. The claims are pending further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to service, including presumed exposure to herbicides, and whether his service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his intravenous drug use during active service, and as such, he is barred from establishing service connection for this disability due to willful misconduct. The arthritis of the right ankle did not have its onset during active service or result from disease or injury in service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for Hepatitis C and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The case is now remanded to schedule a VA examination to determine if the current diagnosis of Hepatitis C had its onset during or is related to the Veteran's period of active service.

The Board found that hepatitis C with peripheral neuropathy was not due to disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for further medical examination and opinion, as well as additional development of the record.