The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis due to new and material evidence. However, it is determined that his hepatitis was more likely caused by his own willful misconduct or drug abuse rather than being incurred during his military service.
The deciding factor: The medical records show a history of substance abuse prior to and during the veteran's service which contributed to his current condition.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2001
- Citation
- 0122582
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 0122582.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hepatitis and diabetic nephropathy as the evidence did not show a current disability related to active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to hepatitis, finding no evidence that it was related to his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the claim for service connection for a dental condition and remanded claims for service connection for hepatitis, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a left shoulder condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for hepatitis to ensure a VA examination and medical opinion are obtained, addressing potential pre-service exposure and in-service herbicide agent exposure.
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