Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2011

The Veteran does not have hepatitis A or B that is related to his military service and the claim for service connection has been denied.

The Veteran's death was attributed to liver disease due to exposure to Agent Orange, which is presumed for veterans who served in Vietnam. However, the service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute substantially to his death.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is at least as likely as not due to his service-connected bipolar disorder, and thus grants service connection for hepatitis C.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with verifying the Veteran's claimed stressors and obtaining service personnel records. The appeal is now pending for further development.

The Veteran's Hepatitis C, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension were not found to be related to his military service.,There is no evidence that the Veteran's current conditions had onset in or within one year of service, or are otherwise linked to his active duty.

The Veteran's hepatitis and cluster headaches have been evaluated, but the issues of bilateral pes planus, left leg disability, and back disability are denied.,Service connection for bilateral pes planus is denied as there is no evidence that preexisting pes planus was aggravated during active military service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for Hepatitis B prior to November 13, 2009, and a higher than 10 percent rating since that date is pending. The appeal involves the merits of his service connection claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of hepatitis C, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected hepatitis B and C. The case will be returned to the Board only if the Veteran perfects his appeal in response to the statement of the case regarding the issue of entitlement to a 10 percent disability evaluation based upon multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and her claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) due to lack of evidence linking the Veteran's death to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C and liver transplant service connection are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination, as well as the need to consider additional medical evidence.

The Veteran's brain disorder with memory loss is presumed to be related to his service in the Gulf War.,Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis is not considered a qualifying chronic disability resulting from an undiagnosed illness.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blood disease and hepatitis C, finding no evidence of a current disability or in-service treatment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for hepatitis C, PTSD, a skin disorder, or a heart disorder. The claim for hypertension is remanded due to lack of proper adjudication.

The Board has remanded the claims due to procedural errors and inextricably intertwined issues of service connection for esophageal cancer, liver disability, cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, and hepatitis C, for the purpose of accrued benefits.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hepatitis C and hepatitis B were not incurred during or as a result of his active service. The preponderance of evidence shows that these conditions are not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for hepatitis and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including whether new evidence supports reopening of the latter claim.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asbestosis, hepatitis, and bipolar disorder have been withdrawn. As a result, the claims are dismissed.