Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2002

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for residuals of frostbite of the feet and seizure disorder secondary to a head injury, but denied the claims for infectious hepatitis and psychiatric disorder due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis and a blood disorder, finding that the veteran did not have these conditions during his military service or prior to October 1992. The examiner noted that the veteran's hepatitis C was likely due to intravenous drug use.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an effective date prior to November 25, 1996 for hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver and remanded his other service connection claims. The veteran is also referred to obtain VA treatment records from December 1999 onwards.

The VA denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of evidence showing that his bronchial asthma caused or contributed to his death, and because there was no evidence linking liver disease to service.

The Board has reopened the claims for urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, tremors, and Hepatitis C secondary to service-connected coccygodynia. However, the evidence does not establish a direct link between these conditions and the veteran's service-connected condition.