The Board denied the veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for his claimed residuals of hepatitis, finding that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under either the old or new versions of Diagnostic Code 7345.
The deciding factor: The veteran's symptoms did not match or nearly approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under either the old or new version of Diagnostic Code 7345, and he did not show the degree of symptomatology or incapacitating episodes that would warrant a compensable evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2003
- Citation
- 0305226
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,377 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0305226.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and secondary service connection for cirrhosis of the liver, both determined to be related to in-service hepatitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the failure to schedule VA examinations related to his claimed disabilities. The Board finds that there was a pre-decisional error in not ensuring proper communication with the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his hepatitis, finding that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7354.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error in failing to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's liver disease, including hepatitis B and/or C.
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.