Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis and COPD are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records from Rock Island Army Arsenal and SSA records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a psychiatric examination to address whether the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to service and any in-service personal assault. The examiner should also consider the impact of the Veteran's psychiatric disability on his use of intravenous street drugs.

Prior to April 4, 2007, the Veteran was granted a 30 percent rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder associated with hepatitis C.,Beginning on April 4, 2007, he was granted a 50 percent rating.

The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the claim of service connection for hepatitis C, but determined that there was no causal link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was less likely than not incurred in or caused by his military service, attributing it to post-service drug use.

The Veteran's death was caused by hepatitis C, which the Board finds at least as likely as not to have been caused by a blood transfusion in December 1980. As this event was not reasonably foreseeable and there is no evidence of negligence or fault on VA's part, the appellant is granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not incurred or aggravated by service, and instead more likely resulted from a blood transfusion prior to his entrance into active duty service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a current diagnosis of hepatitis C.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service and therefore denied her claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to address the relationship between hepatitis C and his service-connected hepatitis B. The issue of an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hepatitis B will also be addressed.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for hepatitis C is dismissed because the December 2002 rating decision, which awarded service connection and assigned an effective date of December 17, 1999, was final.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and chronic liver failure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are inextricably intertwined and must be remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for right elbow (ulnar nerve) disability, hypertension, and a liver disorder to include hepatitis. Service connection was denied for the remaining conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and a videoconference hearing.

The Board has granted service connection for Hepatitis B and C, finding that new evidence supports reopening the claims.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has resulted in daily fatigue, malaise, and anorexia with minor weight loss and hepatomegaly. A higher initial rating of 40 percent is granted.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for headaches and hepatitis with stomach problems, but has not yet decided whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches is pending as both a request to reopen and an underlying claim.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's military service is at least as likely as not related to his condition. The appeal regarding a back disorder was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to the decision.

The Veteran's liver disability was aggravated by VA treatment with ibuprofen and Tylenol #3, resulting in additional liver disability. The spleen disability is not related to the VA treatment.