Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2006

The VA Board found no evidence to support a connection between the veteran's Hepatitis C and his military service.

The Board found that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current diagnosis of hepatitis C to his service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of hepatitis C and a skin disorder, claimed as dyshidrotic eczema. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The veteran's hepatitis C is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling, and his GSW residuals are currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation for either condition.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence linking current hepatitis C to service, and thus denied the claim for service connection. The PTSD claim was remanded due to insufficient supporting evidence of an in-service stressor.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran incurred hepatitis C as a result of an in-service tattoo, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection. The issue of PTSD was also addressed, but as it pertained to a different RO (Cleveland, Ohio), it was remanded.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected hepatitis C does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent, as there is no evidence of anorexia or hepatomegaly.

The veteran's hepatitis C is currently rated at 40 percent disabling. The Board has ordered further evaluations and development of the evidence to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is not due to disease or injury incurred in service, and it cannot be presumed as such. The Board found no evidence linking the condition to any specific event during active duty.

The Board has determined that the veteran's Hepatitis C may be attributable to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for an addendum to the July 2004 VA examination report.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and thus the appellant is not entitled to accrued benefits.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis A and hepatitis C, finding no confirmed diagnoses of these conditions in his medical records.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence in previous denials and requests for additional VA medical records.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for hepatitis C has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for asthma, a vision problem with implanted contact lens, and left arm condition. The veteran was not diagnosed with these conditions during service or within one year after separation from service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for hepatitis C and ulcerative colitis, finding that there were no periods of time during which his conditions warranted a rating greater than 20 percent or 60 percent, respectively. The appeals were based on service connection.