This decision denies service connection for fatigue secondary to hepatitis C. The Veteran's claim is denied as he does not have a separate compensable disability manifested by fatigue related to military service or a service-connected disability.,The decision also denies entitlement to a greater amount of retroactive benefits following an increased rating for hepatitis C, finding that the retroactive payment was correctly calculated based on his combined disability ratings and dependency status during the period in question.,Finally, the decision finds that the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for dependency benefits is denied as he did not provide a completed application within one year of notification of the February 2008 award.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support finding the Veteran has a disability manifested by fatigue related to military service or service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Fatigue, Hepatitis C, Cirrhosis, Liver Cancer
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19181014
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 Board denied service connection for insomnia, fatigue, gallstones, varicose veins, anemia, colitis, and PTSD due to a lack of evidence supporting the claims.
- 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 denied increased ratings for the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities, granted a 20% rating for each, and denied an increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the spine. The Board also denied increased ratings for generalized anxiety disorder and service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder, bruxism, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, and sleep disorder.
- 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.
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