Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2012

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's in-service risk factors and his current diagnosis of hepatitis C, thus denying service connection.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's first period of active duty was not a risk factor for contracting hepatitis C. The Board also found no evidence of a current disability manifested by a right hand tremor.

The Board found that the causes of the Veteran's death (respiratory failure, hepatorenal syndrome and alcoholic cirrhosis) were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, cannot be presumed to have been incurred therein, and are not related to a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims, including VA examinations and medical records. The Veteran will be provided with a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) after all necessary actions are taken.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated by active service, and thus denied his claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and liver transplant, finding that there was no positive association between exposure to Agent Orange and hepatitis C. The evidence did not establish a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation for Hepatitis C has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to potential issues with the adequacy of previous examinations and the need for further clarification regarding the etiology of his hearing loss, liver disorder, right foot disorder, and left foot disorder.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for the issues of hepatitis C, migraine headaches, a disability manifested by memory loss, a disability manifested by insomnia, a major depressive disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board found that neither hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver, nor liver cancer causing the Veteran's death was service-connected or could have been service-connected.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone were not shown to prevent him from obtaining and maintaining all forms of substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational background prior to December 22, 2008. The criteria for a TDIU are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C and kidney disorder are not related to his active duty service, including exposure to herbicides. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has granted the claim, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of Hepatitis C is attributable to his military service and specifically to the viral hepatitis he was hospitalized for during his second period of service in 1981.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis B, diabetes mellitus, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability. The appeal was remanded due to the reopening of a previously denied claim on new evidence.

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

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma, which required treatment including steroids like Prednisone, contributed to his death from liver disease and esophageal varices. The conflicting medical opinions are in relative equipoise.

The Veteran's service-connected Hepatitis C is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has granted this rating. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records from private facilities and potential examination at his prison facility.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C is being remanded due to outstanding VA and private treatment records. The claims file must be updated with any available medical evidence before the issue can be reconsidered.