Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by Hepatitis C, which is related to his active service. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions that are attributable to her military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and a need for a VA examination to determine if hepatitis C is related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the Veteran's incarceration, including arranging for a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety disorder with depression and hepatitis C, as well as his claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's claims for chronic liver disease, including hepatitis C; kidney disorder; and psychiatric disability (depression) have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a connection to service.

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

The Veteran seeks service connection for Hepatitis C, which he claims is due to an air gun injection vaccination received at Fort Jackson in June 1996. The case is being remanded for further development including verification of any service between May 1996 and November 1998, obtaining relevant service treatment records, and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran has hepatitis C but denied service connection as there was no evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence to support a finding that any condition not yet service-connected contributed to the Veteran's death. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have hepatitis B or C as a result of VA medical treatment.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hepatitis C and finds that it is more likely than not related to in-service inoculations using an air gun, which may have resulted in a blood transfusion exposure.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for hepatitis C was granted, with a 10 percent disability rating effective from April 23, 2001. The current appeal seeks an increase in the rating to a higher level.

The Veteran's claims have been dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate them.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was incurred in service, and thus granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was initially granted service connection, but the RO has not assigned a compensable rating for the period prior to July 2, 2001. For the period from June 28, 2002 to June 27, 2002, he is rated at 20 percent. Beginning on June 25, 2009, his rating has been increased to 50 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and hepatitis B, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic or acute hepatitis during service and concluding that the current hepatitis disorders are not related to active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and his claims for hepatitis C and liver cancer were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board denied service connection for cirrhosis of the liver, finding that it was not incurred in active service or due to a period of one year following service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (migraine headaches, major depression with fatigue, degenerative changes to the knees, tinnitus, Hepatitis C, and a plantar wart on the right foot) have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted his claim for TDIU.