The Board found no evidence of right brachial plexopathy or right carpal tunnel syndrome during service and denied the claims for these conditions.,For hepatitis C, the Board noted that it was first diagnosed in 2004, 33 years after service. The Veteran claimed exposure to shots by airgun during basic training as a cause of his condition. However, the VA examiner could not pinpoint when the Veteran contracted hepatitis C and denied the claim.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that neither right brachial plexopathy nor right carpal tunnel syndrome was present during service and there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.,Regarding hepatitis C, the Board found that while it was first diagnosed in 2004, which is after service, the Veteran's statements could not be considered competent medical evidence as he did not provide a clear source or onset of his condition. The law prohibits service connection for diseases resulting from willful misconduct (illegal drug use).
- Claimed conditions
- Right brachial plexopathy, Right carpal tunnel syndrome, Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0921549
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 0921549.
What this means for you
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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 cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's liver cancer and hepatitis C are related to his active service, including exposure to agent orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, with effective dates from March 15, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU and DEA based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and hepatitis C as there was no evidence of functional impairment sufficient to warrant a higher rating.
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