Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is attributable to service, and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hepatitis, gall bladder removal, and low back disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis, finding no current disability and insufficient evidence linking the in-service episode to a present condition.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to any service-connected disability or a presumptive condition, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The RO has granted a 60 percent rating for hypertension, the maximum available under current criteria. The issue of increased rating for residuals of infectious hepatitis remains pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hepatitis, and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board found that hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by the veteran's active duty service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for psychiatric disability and hepatitis C, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the psychiatric claim and concluding that there is insufficient evidence linking the current diagnoses to active service.

The RO denied service connection for hepatitis C. The case is being remanded to the RO to schedule a videoconference hearing.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by or related to any service-connected condition, and denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the claim for accrued benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by wartime service and denied his claim for service connection.

The VA determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was not caused by a VA hospitalization in 1983, and thus denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was incurred as a result of his drug abuse during service and is attributable to his pre-existing condition.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, and there is no competent evidence linking post-traumatic stress disorder to his death. The cause of death listed on the certificate was hepatic failure due to cirrhosis of the liver.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for viral hepatitis. The Board also found no current disability due to viral hepatitis or its residuals.

The veteran's service connection claim for hepatitis C was granted, with the Board finding that his current diagnosis of hepatitis C was incurred in active military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the appeals by his representative.

The VA granted service connection for hepatitis and assigned a zero percent evaluation, effective April 21, 1998. The veteran's hepatitis has been nonsymptomatic since then.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and a right thigh wound disability, prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

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