The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that the Veteran's condition did not manifest during or within one year of separation from active duty and was unrelated to service. The claim for hepatitis C compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 was also denied as there is no evidence showing a blood transfusion caused by VA.,The medical records do not support the Veteran's claims, with hypertension being diagnosed years after separation from active duty and hepatitis C found in January 2002 following a blood transfusion that occurred in October 2001.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of chronic hypertension during service or within one year post-service. The Veteran's contentions are contradicted by the other medical records, which show normal blood pressure readings before separation and no prior history of hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Hypertension"}, {"condition_name":"Hepatitis C"}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20002671
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
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