Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating higher than 10 percent for Hepatitis C was granted, and he is now receiving a 10 percent rating retroactively effective from August 31, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and medical records from Heidelberg hospital and Landstuhl U.S. Army Medical Center.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and Hepatitis C were denied, while his claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating or an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, erectile dysfunction secondary to laryngeal cancer, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of recent medical records.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C, as well as to ensure all relevant evidence has been considered in adjudicating the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C virus is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining in-patient treatment records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's death was caused by hepatic failure and cryptogenic cirrhosis, which the appellant claims were due to mustard gas exposure during service. The VA has not verified this exposure but is required to complete further development as per M21-1MR guidelines.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that his current hepatitis is related to any incident during service.

The Board has remanded the claim due to further development being required before it can be decided on appeal. The Veteran's Hepatitis C is presumed to have been incurred during service, but a medical opinion is needed to determine its exact cause.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis and an increased rating for Meniere's syndrome were both denied by the RO. He has filed timely notices of disagreement with these decisions.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his own willful misconduct in using illicit drugs, specifically cocaine use. Service connection for this condition was denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, to include Crohn's Disease, is not related to her active military service. The claims for PTSD and autoimmune hepatitis are remanded as the Veteran requested a hearing before the Board.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C did not have its onset during his active military service and was not caused by an event, injury or disease in service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hepatitis C is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's service-connected hepatitis C and sleep apnea prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, but the VA examiner opined that he could perform light and sedentary work at times when not having episodes due to hepatitis C. The case is referred for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU rating.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is related to service and the Board has granted her claim for service connection.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for hepatitis A and B, citing a July 2013 letter to the Board.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including scheduling a video conference hearing.

The Board found that the cause of the Veteran's death, cirrhosis of the liver, was not related to service-connected conditions or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder in July 2002. The decision is final and cannot be reopened without new and material evidence.