Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2007

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence showing hepatitis, hypertension, low back disability, or psychiatric disorder were incurred in service and are not otherwise related to service. As a result, the veteran's claims for these conditions have been denied.

The veteran's appeal involves the initial rating for Hepatitis C and seeking to restore service connection. The case was remanded by the Board in April 2005, but no hearing has been scheduled. This decision orders a new hearing before the Board.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, hepatitis C, a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and aphasia. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the appellant did not meet the requirements for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under Chapter 35.

The Board found that the veteran's hepatitis was a result of his own misconduct involving drug use during service.

The VA determined that the veteran's hepatitis is currently resolved and does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or substantially contribute to his death, which was due to gastric varices and hepatitis C.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected seborrheic dermatitis and gastroesophageal reflux disorder with hiatal hernia and hepatitis C were granted. However, the claim for an increased evaluation of his residuals of left wrist injury and removal of ganglion cyst was denied.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis, including hepatitis-C. However, it is not established that his current diagnosis of hepatitis-C is related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to insufficient verification of the claimed in-service stressors. Service connection for hepatitis C is pending as there are no medically recognized risk factors provided by the veteran.

The Board has determined that additional medical records are needed to fully evaluate the veteran's death and its cause. The appellant is seeking service connection for the cause of her husband's death, but the appeal is currently in a remanded status due to outstanding medical records.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete notification and assistance, as well as the need for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the veteran's hepatitis C.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for Hepatitis C, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim for Hepatitis C. For PTSD, the Board determined there was no credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor. For bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, the VA examination indicated these conditions were not related to service.

The veteran's death was not caused by or aggravated by a service-connected condition, and the appellant is therefore denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The appellant also failed to meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.

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

The Board has determined that there is no clinical evidence of hepatitis B and the initial demonstration of hepatitis C occurred many years after service, with no competent medical evidence linking it to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hepatitis B and/or C is denied.

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on his spouse's need for regular aid and attendance is being remanded due to the need for further development of evidence.

The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for hepatitis is being remanded due to the need to obtain VA medical records and ensure compliance with notification requirements.