Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2004

The Board found no service connection for the cause of death due to pre-existing conditions not related to military service, and denied accrued benefits as there was no pending claim at the time of the veteran's death.

The Board found that the cause of death was not related to service-connected disability and denied entitlement to dependent's educational benefits under Chapter 35.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by toxic hepatitis with cardiac failure, which is considered a result of his service. The claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.

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

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the VA has granted a 100 percent rating for his PTSD. The case also includes an issue of service connection for hepatitis C, which was found to be new and material.

The Board found no evidence of hepatitis during service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C was incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for clarification of the date of an accident and subsequent blood transfusion, as well as obtaining relevant medical records. The case will be reviewed again after these steps.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hepatitis C or a substance abuse disorder that is attributable to his military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to new evidence submitted. The hepatitis C claim is pending and requires additional development.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C was incurred during his active service, and granted the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for right lower quadrant pain to include diverticulitis due to a procedural issue regarding the timeliness of the notice of disagreement. The ratings for hypertension and migraine headaches are addressed in another decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and needs further medical opinions and information from the Department of the Army.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed because he died during the pendency of his appeal.

The VA denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, attributing it to diabetes mellitus and cirrhosis of the liver. The VA found that neither condition was directly related to service.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the veteran's current Hepatitis C is related to his military service, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and diabetes mellitus type II, finding no evidence of in-service onset or association with military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C and determined that new evidence supports this reopening. The evidence now indicates a possible link between the veteran's active military service and his current condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining verification of claimed stressors and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any psychiatric or liver disorders.