The Board denied compensation benefits for hepatitis C due to a blood transfusion at a VA medical facility in 1979 or 1980, finding that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on part of VA physicians.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence to support a claim of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for hepatitis C due to a blood transfusion at a VA medical facility in 1979 or 1980, as the Veteran's hepatitis C was more likely caused by his own willful acts (alcohol and drug abuse).
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069977
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 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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