The Veteran's hepatitis C was granted service connection, but his increased rating claims for degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy, and knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's hepatitis C had its onset during his service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the evidence to be at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's hepatitis C had its onset during his service, granting service connection for hepatitis C. However, the increased rating claims were denied as there was no clear and definitive opinion linking the disabilities to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis C, Degenerative disc disease at L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve), Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (sciatic nerve), Degenerative joint disease with limited flexion and painful motion in the right knee, Degenerative joint disease with limited flexion and painful motion in the left knee, Surgical (painful) scars, both knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20024177
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 20024177.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable initial rating for Hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was asymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's Hepatitis C with cirrhosis is related to service, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine condition and lower extremity radiculopathy conditions were rated at 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively, effective May 24, 2022.,Prior to May 24, 2022, there is no evidence of an increase in severity for the Veteran's lumbar spine condition or lower extremity radiculopathy conditions.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted as service-connected, with the Board finding it related to his active duty service and aggravated by his service-connected tibia fractures. The claim for hepatitis C is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding its etiology.,Service connection for depressive disorder is established based on direct evidence of a current disability (depressive disorder) that was incurred during active duty service.
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