Hepatitis C Board decisions

The Board has denied service connection for hepatitis C and arthritis of the hands, arms, shoulders, knees, and ankles as there is no evidence that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has ordered additional development to be completed, including obtaining medical records and seeking information from the Social Security Administration. The veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for hepatitis C is being remanded.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C is not related to service, attributing it to his documented in-service intravenous drug use.

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

The Board has determined that additional development is required to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and service personnel records.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all listed conditions, including those related to herbicide exposure. The Board does not have jurisdiction to consider these matters as the appellant's request to withdraw his appeal is now in effect.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, Hepatitis C, a Right Shoulder Disability, and a Right Hand Disability. The claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was previously denied in September 1999 and is not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The ratings for bilateral hearing loss and ligament damage, left knee, with minimal joint space narrowing; degenerative joint disease were reduced but the veteran's appeal for restoration of these ratings are granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to his military service, including any exposure. As such, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver and found that new evidence submitted since the prior denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. However, the Board denied service connection as there is no probative evidence linking the current condition to service.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to lack of combat exposure and insufficient evidence corroborating the claimed in-service stressors. Service connection for hepatitis C was also denied as there is no evidence linking it to Agent Orange exposure.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not shown during service or for many years after, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Hepatitis C was not shown during service or for many years after, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. Service connection for hepatitis C is denied.

The veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left cheekbone fracture is granted. The claims for hepatitis C and head injury are remanded for further development.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for higher evaluations for allergic rhinitis and hepatitis C, finding that the evidence did not support ratings in excess of 10 percent or 20 percent, respectively.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding that no new and material evidence had been received.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including dizziness, bilateral hearing loss, gout, mood swings, defective vision, cramps and sweats, peripheral neuropathy of the extremities, hypertension, heart condition, shortness of breath, depression, memory loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, muscle and joint pains, sleep apnea, headaches, liver disorder, and high cholesterol. The claims were denied as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is as likely as not caused by exposure to body fluids during service, specifically his volunteer door gunner duties in Vietnam. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, Hypertensive Heart Disease (on a presumptive basis due to diabetes mellitus), and Hepatitis C. The claim for PTSD is granted as it relates to an in-service stressor. Service connection for Hypertensive Heart Disease is also granted on a presumptive basis due to the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for Hepatitis C remains pending.