Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's previously denied claims of service connection for a low back disability and residuals of hepatitis B were reopened, but the Board found that new and material evidence was not sufficient to grant either claim on the merits.

The Board found that the appellant's hepatitis C was not present during his honorable, active service or for many years thereafter and there is no probative evidence linking it to his honorable, active service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that liver cancer was not due to disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active service and not presumed to have been incurred in service, secondary to diabetes mellitus, or due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for his service-connected residuals of Hepatitis B infection, but no compensable rating for the service-connected sarcoid iritis/uveitis.

The appeal is remanded for further development of the evidence regarding the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, including a comprehensive medical examination.

The Veteran is granted service connection for biliary cirrhosis with esophageal varices, but denied service connection for hepatitis B.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the preponderance of evidence was against a relationship between the current condition and his military service.

The appeal on the merits has become moot by virtue of the death of the Veteran and must be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

The appeal of the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) has been granted.

The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for his hepatitis C, effective October 4, 2006.

The Veteran's claims to reopen service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a right elbow disorder, a right shoulder disorder, PTSD, hepatitis C, a right eye disorder, an ulcer, a scar of the right shoulder, and tinea versicolor were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his military service or to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board concluded that a preponderance of the evidence is against the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board found that the evidence supported service connection for hepatitis C, but not for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in the left ear, a back disability, hepatitis C, chronic disability manifested by blood in the urine, bladder cancer, and melanoma were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability or that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board found that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and readjudication of the claim.

The Board denied service connection for a left wrist disability, diabetes mellitus type I, and hepatitis C as these conditions were not attributable to the Veteran's active military service.