Hepatitis C decisions — 2010

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis C, finding that his current condition is related to in-service risk factors.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver are at least as likely as not due to his service, specifically exposure to contaminated blood during combat operations in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issue of service connection for depression as secondary to hepatitis C remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C and diabetes mellitus as secondary to hepatitis C are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The PTSD claim is also being remanded for a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hepatitis C and nonservice-connected VA pension benefits, finding that his current diagnosis of hepatitis C is secondary to polysubstance abuse (drug use) which is considered willful misconduct. The Veteran was also found not to be unemployable due to disability.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer and hepatitis C due to lack of evidence supporting the Veteran's claimed exposure to Vietnam. The claim for hepatitis C is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and a rating in excess of 10 percent for irritable bowel syndrome, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current conditions and military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including mood disorder, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C, bilateral pes planus, and an abscess scar, precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 24, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for pancreatitis, arthritis of the bilateral knees and ankles, herniated disc of the lumbar spine, diabetes mellitus, Type II, or hepatitis C.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hepatitis C and hypertension due to potential issues with service connection, exposure history, and medical records. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has determined that the appellant did not submit a timely Substantive Appeal with regard to the rating decision currently on appeal, and thus the claim for service connection for depression is denied due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.