Hepatitis C decisions — 2011

The Board has denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of hepatitis C, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected hepatitis B and C. The case will be returned to the Board only if the Veteran perfects his appeal in response to the statement of the case regarding the issue of entitlement to a 10 percent disability evaluation based upon multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C and liver transplant service connection are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination, as well as the need to consider additional medical evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blood disease and hepatitis C, finding no evidence of a current disability or in-service treatment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for hepatitis C, PTSD, a skin disorder, or a heart disorder. The claim for hypertension is remanded due to lack of proper adjudication.

The Board has remanded the claims due to procedural errors and inextricably intertwined issues of service connection for esophageal cancer, liver disability, cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, and hepatitis C, for the purpose of accrued benefits.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hepatitis C and hepatitis B were not incurred during or as a result of his active service. The preponderance of evidence shows that these conditions are not related to service.

The Veteran's liver disease, including due to Hepatitis A and C, has been evaluated at a 30 percent rating since March 7, 2001. The current evaluation does not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been rated at 50 percent since February 15, 2007. The VA found that the PTSD caused significant occupational and social impairment but did not meet criteria for total disability due to PTSD.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of death and for accrued benefits purposes due to lung cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic constipation, finding that it is proximately due to medications used for treatment of her service-connected joint pain.,Service connection for hepatitis C was denied as the Veteran's current condition is not causally related to her period of active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient development of evidence, including further examination and medical opinion regarding his claimed conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back pain, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine at C5-C7, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is related to a blood transfusion he received as a result of his service-connected PTSD. The issue of bilateral hearing loss disability remains pending and not adjudicated.

The Veteran's death was caused by septic shock, bacteremia, and transient ischemic attack. The Board finds that the service-connected diabetes mellitus has played a role in producing or hastening the Veteran's death. Therefore, service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board found that hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a diagnosis during service and the condition was first diagnosed many years after service. The Veteran's exposure to blood and bodily fluids in service did not establish a direct link to his current condition.

The case is being remanded for further development and examination to clarify the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and hepatitis C were denied as there is no evidence of current disability that meets the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is at least as likely as not etiologically related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.