The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis, but denied the claim as his hepatitis was not incurred in service.
The deciding factor: The VA medical records showed elevated liver enzymes during the veteran's hospitalization at Bethesda Naval Hospital in 1970, which were consistent with hepatitis. However, the examiner concluded that it was reasonable to assume these tests represented the beginning of the veteran's disease rather than an active service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic active hepatitis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2001
- Citation
- 0123471
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0123471.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial disability rating for scars, status post liver transplant, is granted at a 20 percent level. The claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection to status post liver transplant, chronic active hepatitis with active nodular cirrhosis, now cryptogenic cirrhosis, is dismissed.
- Denied
The Board denied the petition to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to lack of new and material evidence, concluding that the appellant's statements do not provide a credible medical opinion linking the Veteran's cause of death to his military service or herbicide exposure.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to his service-connected liver cirrhosis, which developed from chronic active hepatitis caused by an in-service blood transfusion. The Board grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by hepatitis C, which is service-connected. The claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is moot due to the grant of service connection.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.