The Veteran's appeal is being REMANDED for further examination and medical opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his Hepatitis C (HCV). The Board will consider whether service connection should be granted based on direct evidence.
The deciding factor: The clinician needs to assess if HCV was incurred as a result of in-service immunizations administered via air gun injector or the removal of two wisdom teeth, considering the Veteran's statements and medical knowledge.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis C (HCV)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23000761
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 23000761.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the current evidence is insufficient to establish service connection for hepatitis C, and thus remands the case for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for HCV, including in-service risk factors and non-service risk factors. The Veteran's claim is being returned for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and he did not meet the qualifications for DIC benefits due to his total disability rating or TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding whether the Veteran's hepatitis C began during service or is at least as likely as not related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Board finds that there was a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error and that additional development is necessary.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.