The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's in-service risk factors likely resulted in the disease. ,Service connection was also granted for GERD, with the Board noting that while there is no contemporaneous medical evidence of symptoms, the Veteran's competent and credible lay statements support a diagnosis of GERD during his first period of active duty.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that hepatitis C was likely caused by in-service risk factors such as tattoos, intravenous drug use, and high-risk sexual activity.,For GERD, the Board noted that while there is no contemporaneous medical evidence, the Veteran's lay statements supported a diagnosis of GERD during his first period of active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis C, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 25, 2022
- Citation
- 22042291
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 22042291.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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