Hepatitis C decisions — 2018

The Board dismissed the claim of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for Hepatitis C due to the Veteran's withdrawal at his August 2017 hearing. The remaining issues, including service connection and increased ratings for left knee disability, are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C is remanded due to incomplete records and the need for an examination to secure a fully adequate opinion.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right lower extremity sciatica, left lower extremity sciatica, and his variously diagnosed psychiatric disability are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain is remanded due to the need for an examination to secure a fully adequate opinion.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral pes cavus and claw foot with hallux valgus of the great toe and first metatarsal hammertoes is remanded due to the need for an examination to secure a fully adequate opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding that there is no current diagnosis of hepatitis C and thus not meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's applications to reopen his claims for service connection for low back disorder, left foot disorder, and migraine headaches. The application for hepatitis C was denied as new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis B and/or C infection did not have its onset during service, was not caused by his service, or is otherwise etiologically related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hepatitis C was denied as there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are not granted in full, with some issues being remanded for further development and others remaining denied.

The Board has remanded the claim due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's liver disorder, including hepatitis C and cirrhosis, is related to his service. The VA needs to obtain updated treatment records and conduct an examination to determine if any current liver disorder is as likely as not caused by in-service risk factors.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for hepatitis C has been withdrawn. The Veteran's facial tics have been granted a 10 percent disability rating, but the issue of an increased rating for PTSD remains pending and must be remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess whether his current condition is related to his in-service hospitalization and dental procedures.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver are both rated at their current levels, but he contends that they warrant higher ratings. The Board has remanded these issues for further development to obtain additional medical evidence and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and hepatitis C are remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess current severity.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions provided in December 2016 were inadequate and remanded for further development. The case is being returned to obtain an adequate opinion addressing the likely etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records, including from the Miami VAMC in 1979.

The Veteran's hepatitis C treatment records from VA and private sources are not fully reviewed, so the Board is remanding to obtain these records.

The Board has decided that the claim of service connection for hepatitis C must be remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for a new examination.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for hepatitis C and service connection for a psychiatric disorder secondary to his hepatitis C are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis C have been remanded due to a lack of a Statement of the Case.