Hepatitis C Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety disorder with depression and hepatitis C, as well as his claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's claims for chronic liver disease, including hepatitis C; kidney disorder; and psychiatric disability (depression) have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a connection to service.

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

The Veteran seeks service connection for Hepatitis C, which he claims is due to an air gun injection vaccination received at Fort Jackson in June 1996. The case is being remanded for further development including verification of any service between May 1996 and November 1998, obtaining relevant service treatment records, and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran has hepatitis C but denied service connection as there was no evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hepatitis C and finds that it is more likely than not related to in-service inoculations using an air gun, which may have resulted in a blood transfusion exposure.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for hepatitis C was granted, with a 10 percent disability rating effective from April 23, 2001. The current appeal seeks an increase in the rating to a higher level.

The Veteran's claims have been dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate them.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was incurred in service, and thus granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was initially granted service connection, but the RO has not assigned a compensable rating for the period prior to July 2, 2001. For the period from June 28, 2002 to June 27, 2002, he is rated at 20 percent. Beginning on June 25, 2009, his rating has been increased to 50 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and hepatitis B, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic or acute hepatitis during service and concluding that the current hepatitis disorders are not related to active duty service.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and his claims for hepatitis C and liver cancer were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (migraine headaches, major depression with fatigue, degenerative changes to the knees, tinnitus, Hepatitis C, and a plantar wart on the right foot) have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted his claim for TDIU.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the August 1999 rating decision is not new and material, thus denying the reopening of the claim for service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C, bilateral hearing loss, and residuals of malaria. The appeals were dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal on the issue of service connection for a skin disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for hepatitis C service connection and his claim of service connection for a respiratory disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hepatitis C was not present during service or for many years thereafter, and was not caused by any incident of service.

The Board found that the Veteran's Hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, as it is more likely due to his history of intravenous drug use and promiscuous sexual activity during service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal before a decision could be made.

The Veteran's service-connected HCV is not shown to have been manifested by more than intermittent fatigue, malaise, and anorexia since January 3, 2008. The Board finds that the evidence does not warrant a higher initial evaluation.