The Veteran's hepatitis C and acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD) claims are denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to service.,The right hand, left hand, left foot, right knee, right hip, and right leg disability claims are denied due to the Veteran's failure to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to provide good cause for his failure to attend the scheduled VA examinations, which were necessary to establish a nexus between his current disabilities and service.,There is no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and service. The Veteran's post-service medical records show complaints and diagnoses related to these issues but do not indicate an in-service onset or connection.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatitis C, acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD), right hand disorder (to include dermatitis and xerosis), left hand disorder (to include dermatitis and xerosis), left foot disability, right knee disability, right hip disability, right leg disability, dizzy spells
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 12, 2023
- Citation
- 23038644
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 23038644.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim for major depression to encompass any mental health disability raised by the record and has remanded six issues for additional development.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left and right hip disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran will need an adequate VA medical opinion to determine if his hip disabilities are related to service.
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