Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was accepted, and the claim for service connection for hepatitis C is now pending before the Board.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is currently rated at 10 percent, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as he has no symptoms or incapacitating episodes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for Hepatitis C and a right ankle disorder, finding no evidence to support these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hepatitis C and hypertension due to outstanding VA treatment records. The Veteran is required to provide authorization for private treatment records, and the AOJ will attempt to obtain these records.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since April 6, 2001.,He is granted a TDIU effective from April 6, 2001.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated during active service. The Board found that the most likely cause of his hepatitis C is intravenous drug use, which constitutes willful misconduct and therefore does not qualify as a condition incurred in line of duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is etiologically related to his active service, and therefore grants service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board found that hepatitis C did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left knee total replacement with residual scar and hip degenerative arthritis prior to July 15, 2013 have been granted. The initial rating of 30% has been assigned.

The Board has remanded the case due to several issues, including a need for additional medical opinions and evidence submission. The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C remains pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of PID, status post hysterectomy and arthritis of hands and shoulders. The claim for hepatitis C remains denied.,Service connection is not granted for PID, status post hysterectomy or arthritis of hands and shoulders.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining missing records and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's death is being remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine if his service-connected conditions contributed to his cause of death. The DIC claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is also inextricably intertwined and will be remanded as well.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for an additional examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that he contracted hepatitis C during his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, hypertension, and dysthymic disorder (claimed as depression) are being remanded due to the need for additional development including a VA examination.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was increased to a 20 percent rating effective December 31, 2007. The RO also granted the highest available rating of 100 percent for his hepatitis C effective August 1, 2013.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by septic/shock due to pneumonia, which is linked to his service-connected hepatitis C. The Board finds that the use of interferon therapy for his hepatitis C contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess whether his current diagnosis of Hepatitis C may be related to in-service risk factors such as tattoos, and if so, whether these are causally related to his disability.