Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2003

The VA denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his hepatitis disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to April 1996 or from April 1996 to July 2001.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, Laennec's cirrhosis due to alcoholism, was not related to his service and denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of Hepatitis C due to new evidence submitted since the last final decision, which includes a VA examination and medical opinions linking the condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran experienced non-combat related stressors during service and has been diagnosed with PTSD. The claim for Hepatitis C is denied as it was not incurred or aggravated in service.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and hepatitis C, finding no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service. The currently diagnosed conditions are not considered related to the veteran's military service.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and an increased evaluation for PTSD.

The Board has ordered further development due to the need for additional evidence. The case is now being sent back to the Regional Office (RO) for obtaining in-patient treatment records from a British Army Field Hospital where the veteran received head injury care during service.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee degenerative osteoarthritis and hepatitis C. The case is being sent to the Board's Evidence Development Unit (EDU) for additional development.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis was caused by his own intravenous drug use during service and denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran's case is being remanded for further development of his hepatitis C service connection claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case due to pending issues and evidence. The appeal is currently remanded for additional development.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, complications from cirrhosis of the liver, was not caused by or aggravated by any service-connected disability. The Board also determined that there was no evidence to support a claim for service connection based on exposure to blood transfusions during service.

The RO granted service connection for hepatitis C and combined it with the veteran's existing 60 percent disability rating for a duodenal ulcer, resulting in a total rating of 60 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to internal development issues and VCAA compliance requirements. The M&ROC is instructed to obtain medical records for treatment of hepatitis from San Diego VAMC and Fort Harrison VAMC, ensure all notification and development actions required by the VCAA are completed, and readjudicate the issue.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by VA hospitalization or medical treatment, and thus denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions of Hepatitis A, B, and C were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The evidence did not establish a link between his current hepatitis diagnoses and his military service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C, finding that it is a direct result of his military service.