The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial ratings for his hepatitis C, TMJ, diabetes mellitus, right hip disability, left leg disability, broken teeth, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, sleep apnea, deviated septum, left ear disability, right ear disability, headaches, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), and TDIU. The Board also remanded several issues for further development.
The deciding factor: The claims were not supported by evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to August 27, 2010, the date the Veteran's initial service connection claims were received.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis C, Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23024438
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 23024438.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected Hepatitis C, lumbar DDD with strain, osteomyelitis, and loss of use of right foot disability rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance. Effective October 28, 2008, the Veteran meets the criteria for SMC under various provisions.
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