The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the veteran's hepatitis C is related to his combat service, and for an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the veteran's cirrhosis of the liver is due to his service connection.
The deciding factor: The Board found confusion in the April 2003 VA examiner's statement regarding the cause of the veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis, and decided a new examination was necessary to clarify this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2006
- Citation
- 0603440
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 cervical disc disease with radiculopathy, secondary to the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. The Board also granted ratings of 50%, 80%, and 40% for various neurological conditions affecting the lower extremities, as well as a rating of 60% for hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating higher than 20 percent for the service-connected hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver, steatosis/fatty liver and status post cholecystectomy prior to October 1, 2011, granted a 100 percent rating from October 1, 2011, to March 31, 2013, and denied a rating in excess of 20 percent since March 31, 2013.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a 100 percent disability rating and TDIU to ensure all necessary development is completed, including obtaining a completed VA Form 21-8940 from the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's hepatitis C and its relation to service exposure, specifically blood of wounded soldiers.
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