The Board has granted service connection for left femur and left foot disabilities, finding that the veteran's preexisting conditions were aggravated by active duty.,Service connection was denied for hepatitis C due to its being linked to willful misconduct (intravenous drug use).
The deciding factor: The veteran's pre-existing conditions worsened during service, meeting the criteria for aggravation. Service connection is granted for these conditions. However, as hepatitis C is linked to willful misconduct, it cannot be considered a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Femur Disability, Left Foot Disability, Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2000
- Citation
- 0032983
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0032983.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and foot disabilities. The claim for NSC pension benefits was dismissed as moot due to a higher disability rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's liver cancer and hepatitis C are related to his active service, including exposure to agent orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, with effective dates from March 15, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU and DEA based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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