Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's hepatitis, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions are all found to be related to his service. The Veteran is granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for the residuals of hepatitis has been reopened and granted. The initial compensable ratings for hemorrhoids, scars of the right foot, and scars of the left fourth and fifth toes have also been granted. However, a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease and spondylosis at L5-S1 remains denied.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is deemed to have been contracted during active service.,The Veteran's CML, which first manifested many years after service discharge, is not causally related to events, disease, or injury during military service.

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

The Board found that hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his depressive disorder and his service-connected hepatitis C and cirrhosis. Additionally, SSA records are to be obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability related to his in-service hepatitis A infection, and therefore, service connection for hepatitis A is denied.

The Veteran withdrew the claim of service connection for a skin rash other than service-connected chloracne. The case is REMANDED to determine if hepatitis C is related to sexual contact during and after service.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including whether they are related to service or any incident thereof.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hepatitis C. The Veteran's current diagnosis of depression is not related to his military service, and a psychosis may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records and providing supplemental opinions from VA examiners.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The VA determined that the Veteran did not have Hepatitis C as a result of his active duty service.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and a mood disorder with depression, as his conditions are not related to his military service.

The VA determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his active duty service, and thus denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The claim for hepatitis C remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated by service, and the Board found no evidence to support a presumption of exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange). The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected Hepatitis C was rated at 10 percent prior to July 22, 2008 and subsequently increased to 10 percent from July 22, 2008. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on his symptoms.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C did not manifest during active military service and has not been shown to be related to service, including a known risk factor for contracting hepatitis C.

The Board found that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning, which is not service-connected. The Veteran's death does not meet the criteria for service connection as the cause of death.