Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

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

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hepatitis C is dismissed as his appeal was not timely perfected.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a separate compensable rating for depression as secondary to hepatitis C is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C, which was diagnosed prior to service and aggravated by active service, caused his death. The Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to support this conclusion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and hepatitis C are service-connected as they were incurred in or aggravated by his active military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations. The Veteran's claims for PTSD and Hepatitis C are pending.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was granted a noncompensable rating prior to January 5, 2012. From January 5, 2012, he is now assigned a 10 percent disability evaluation for his hepatitis C. His bilateral hearing loss has been rated as Level VI in the right ear and Level II in the left ear. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied due to his service-connected disabilities not precluding him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is at least as likely as not related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for hepatitis C, including lack of an opinion addressing all risk factors and possible etiologies.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining his STRs and a copy of his DD Form 214, VA treatment records, and any SSA disability benefits records. A VA examination will also be conducted.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating increase on his right thumb disability was dismissed as he withdrew the appeal.,His claim to reopen his Hepatitis C service connection claim has been granted, but the underlying issue of whether it is related to service remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was not addressed in this decision. The Board found that the Veteran has hepatitis C related to his military service and granted service connection for hepatitis C.

The Veteran's hepatitis C disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a 40 percent or higher rating due to lack of incapacitating episodes or significant weight loss.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been manifested by daily fatigue and intermittent abdominal pain, but not weight loss or hepatomegaly. The criteria for higher ratings have not been met.

The Board has granted service connection for Hepatitis C, finding it at least as likely as not that the Veteran's Hepatitis C is attributable to service. The claims of service connection for PTSD and a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD including a mood disorder remain denied.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated at 20 percent since October 2, 2002. The rating is granted as the condition meets the criteria for a 20 percent evaluation based on daily fatigue and malaise.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and there is no evidence to support a service connection for PTSD for purposes of accrued benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of newly submitted evidence.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was rated as noncompensably disabling from November 15, 2007 to March 3, 2010 and as 10 percent disabling since March 4, 2010. The Board found that the current rating of 10 percent is appropriate based on intermittent symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, anorexia, and occasional incapacitating episodes.