Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to the claimed conditions, and thus denied all service connection claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his military service, specifically the air gun inoculations he received in service.

The Board found no evidence of hepatitis C during service or within a year after service, and concluded that the Veteran's current diagnosis is not related to his military service.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is more likely than not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed right, left knee disabilities and low back disability are not related to his military service. The claim for residuals of a left ankle fracture is denied as well. Service connection for hepatitis C cannot be established.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death and denied entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) based on a lack of evidence linking any service-connected condition to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is due to in-service blood transfusions. Service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no medical evidence linking it to his service-connected post-operative residuals of a cavernous hemangioma of the left chest.

The Veteran's death was caused by arteriosclerotic heart disease, which is presumed to be due to exposure to herbicides during his service in Vietnam. The Board granted DIC benefits as the cause of death meets the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension and hepatitis with liver cirrhosis due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their onset during active service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for hepatitis C, which he contends is related to his in-service sexual trauma and drug abuse. The case has been remanded due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration records.

The Board found that the cause of death, liver failure due to cirrhosis, was not caused by or related to service-connected conditions. The Veteran's hemophilia was considered a defect and not a disease, thus not eligible for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's claims of hepatitis B and C in service are not verified or credible, as there is no evidence of such conditions during active duty. Service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and assigned a 10 percent disability rating, effective June 27, 2007. The Veteran's symptoms have included daily fatigue, anorexia, hepatomegaly, weight loss, and incapacitating episodes lasting at least four weeks per year.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was incurred during his military service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and his claim for TDIU is denied.