Hepatitis C decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his current condition is related to risk factors during military service, specifically a tattoo received in Vietnam and intravenous drug use.

The Board has determined that a timely substantive appeal was perfected from the June 2003 rating decision denying service connection for chronic hepatitis C. The Veteran's claim is now on appeal and will be remanded to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of his chronic hepatitis C.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from a German hospital and providing an opinion on the Veteran's hepatitis C claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service-connected dental condition, an acquired mental disorder including depression, or hepatitis C. The claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete medical records and additional information needed.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is currently productive of an undetectable viral load with subjective complaints, but no clinical findings of weight loss or hepatomegaly. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran claims service connection for hepatitis C, which he asserts was incurred during his military service. The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the etiology of his current diagnosis.

The Board found that the appellant's hearing loss disability of the left ear was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and hepatitis B and C were not shown during active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C, and depression. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or association with military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The VA denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for her service-connected Hepatitis C, finding that the criteria for a higher rating were not met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his service and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are enough to render him unable to obtain and maintain any form of substantially gainful employment, thus the Board has determined that he is entitled to a TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that his hepatitis C and related conditions were not incurred in line of duty.