The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis, including due to Agent Orange exposure, was denied. The appeal also addressed the initial disability rating for residuals of broken left pinky finger and the effective date for this grant.,Service connection for hepatitis could not be established as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or symptoms related to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records show he was diagnosed with hepatitis in 1971, which resolved without residual disability. There are no post-service diagnoses or symptoms linked to this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis, Broken Left Pinky Finger
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2023
- Citation
- 23051746
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 23051746.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his alcohol-related causes of death were etiologically linked to a service-connected disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and denied an initial compensable rating for right foot hammer toes, while remanding the claim for service connection for hepatitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to additional development being needed, including obtaining medical opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis and its relationship to service connection.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for hepatitis has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.
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