The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding that there is no linkage between his current condition and an in-service episode of 'hepatitis' or administration of inoculations by jet gun injector during a period of service. The preponderance of evidence indicates that the Veteran's admitted IV drug use was the most likely means of transmission for his hepatitis C.
The deciding factor: The Board found no connection between the in-service air gun inoculation and the current disorder, concluding that the Veteran had established documented risk factors (IV drug abuse) for his hepatitis C.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20003167
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.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all claims for service connection and denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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