Hepatitis C decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection of bilateral knee disability and psychiatric disability. The Veteran's hepatitis C claim is denied as it did not result from VA care or treatment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations, as his last VA examinations were conducted in 2010 and 2011. The nature and severity of his service-connected disabilities are unclear from the current evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was incurred in, or caused by, her military service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C, acquired psychiatric disorder (manifested by depression and insomnia), and hypertension are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis C, finding that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen his claim and that the preponderance of the evidence supports a finding that his current hepatitis C is related to his in-service diagnosis.

The Board has granted service connection for a headache disorder and denied the remaining issues on appeal. The Veteran is now entitled to increased ratings for his PTSD with alcohol abuse, tinnitus, traumatic brain injury, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have hepatitis C related to his active service and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board denied service connection.,For the period prior to June 29, 2015, a rating of 10 percent for traumatic arthritis of the right knee is granted. After that date, a rating of 40 percent is granted.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee instability is not warranted.,For the period prior to June 29, 2015, a rating of 10 percent for traumatic arthritis of the left knee is granted. After that date, a rating of 40 percent is granted.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee instability is not warranted.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and TDIU is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is etiologically related to his active duty service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the Board finds that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for the cause of death. The Veteran had Hepatitis C which first manifested decades after separation from service.

The claims for hepatitis C, anemia (claimed as sickle cell disease), and liver mass were previously denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. New evidence received since the previous denial does not relate any current diagnoses to service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hepatitis C and remanded it for further development, including a VA examination to determine whether the Veteran contracted hepatitis C during his period of service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating or service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a cardiovascular disorder and hypertension, secondary to hepatitis C, have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was rated at a 40 percent evaluation from February 22, 2017. The Board found that the symptoms of daily fatigue and malaise, with intermittent nausea, minor weight loss (approximating 20 pounds on average during a flare-up), and periods of incapacitating episodes not exceeding four weeks a year warranted this rating.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent, effective April 13, 2009. The issue of service connection for hepatitis C remains pending.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for liver cirrhosis resulting from hepatitis C, which he claims was caused by air-gun inoculations during his military service. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis.

The Board denied service connection for kidney cancer, liver cancer, cyst of the left breast, and a liver disorder (including hepatitis C, fatty liver, and cysts of the liver) due to lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

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 events. The claim for service connection is denied.