The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C with cirrhosis and mild restrictive lung physiology as secondary to hepatitis C, and also found that there was no legal entitlement for separate 10 percent ratings for each ear for tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a link between the veteran's claimed conditions and his active service or any service-connected disability. The VA examiner could not determine which of the veteran's risk factors contributed to developing hepatitis C, and there was no evidence that mild restrictive lung physiology was caused or aggravated by his hepatitis C.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis C with cirrhosis, mild restrictive lung physiology
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2008
- Citation
- 0813047
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's hepatitis C with cirrhosis was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and a dental disability for compensation purposes is unrelated to his period of service.
- Denied
The Veteran's hepatitis C with cirrhosis was not shown to have been present during service, nor is it shown to be related to any in-service occurrence or event.
- Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's appeal is being returned to the RO for clarification on whether he wishes these issues to be withdrawn. If the veteran does not wish them to be withdrawn, they will remain in appellate review.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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