The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of compliance with prior instructions for obtaining an independent medical expert's opinion regarding the Veteran's hepatitis C infection and its relation to VA treatment. The matter is now being returned to obtain such an opinion.
The deciding factor: The decision was not about service connection but rather about determining if the Veteran's hepatitis C infection resulted from VA treatment, which requires further investigation by a medical expert.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20067203
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 hepatitis C, jaundice, hypogeusia, and hyposmia as there was no evidence of a current disability during the pendency of the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and remanded the claim for a heart disability due to insufficient evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hepatitis C, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected hepatitis C due to an inadequate VA examination and medical opinions.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.