Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2004

The Board denied the veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for Hepatitis C and a headache condition, finding no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and his active duty service.

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

The VA denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C, concluding that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between his current condition and service.

The veteran's hepatitis C claim is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a VA examination. His PTSD rating remains at 50 percent.

VA denied the veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for arterial hypertension, migraine headache with post-traumatic exacerbation, PTSD, peptic ulcer disease and hepatitis C, right shoulder pain, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, facial and scalp rash, and sinusitis and rhinitis.,VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder pain, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, facial and scalp rash, and sinusitis and rhinitis. However, VA granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 10 percent evaluation effective August 1, 2000.,VA denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for peptic ulcer disease and hepatitis C.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, an eye disorder, a pancreas disorder, and a liver disorder (including Hepatitis C). The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claim that his hepatitis C was related to an injury in service, and denied the claim.

The veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service, but his claim to reopen for a psychiatric disorder has been granted based on new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death and basic eligibility for non-service-connected death pension benefits.

The Board found that the veteran did not have qualifying service for his wife to receive nonservice-connected death pension benefits, and denied her claims for accrued benefits and basic eligibility for death pension. The causes of death were not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current low back disability, including postoperative residuals of a herniated lumbar disc, began during active service and is therefore incurred in or aggravated by service. The claim for hepatitis was not addressed as it falls outside the scope of this decision.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for peptic ulcer disease with hepatitis, finding that the service-connected condition is of no more than mild severity.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for hepatitis, which was previously denied in September 1993. The veteran's testimony and VA treatment records support her assertion that she may have contracted hepatitis during her military service.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence had been received to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis, variously diagnosed as hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Additional development is necessary prior to deciding the veteran's claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Hepatitis C. The veteran was not engaged in combat, and his claimed stressors were not independently verified.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C, a higher initial evaluation for diabetes mellitus, and individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not establish an inservice occurrence or risk factor for hepatitis C.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis, bone disability, sight disability, back disability, skin disability, and psychiatric disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased (compensable) rating for hepatitis due to his failure to report for a VA examination scheduled in October 2003.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is service-connected due to combat exposure in Vietnam. The hepatitis C was not service-connected as it resulted from the veteran's own misconduct.