The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver as it was not shown to be related to the veteran's active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner ranked risk factors and concluded that IV drug use and high-risk sexual activity were more likely causes than in-service inoculations or unsanitary living conditions, which are unlikely given how hepatitis C is transmitted.
- 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
- April 22, 2008
- Citation
- 0813178
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,454 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0813178.
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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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver is rated at 100 percent prior to January 7, 2022. The Board has remanded for further development regarding his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his lumbar spine and TMJ conditions, prevent him from securing and following gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU effective April 29, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded both claims for neck and scalp cysts, as well as hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver. The remand requires additional development including obtaining updated VA treatment records, a statement of the case (SOC), and an appropriate VA examination to determine if any current disabilities are related to service.
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