Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of cold weather injuries, PTSD, bilateral knee disability, and heart disability have been denied.,Service connection was not granted for epididymitis as new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hepatitis C and there is no competent evidence linking his current condition to service. The preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been service-connected, but he is seeking an initial compensable rating and TDIU. The Board finds that a new examination is necessary to reach a decision on the initial rating claim, and referral for extraschedular consideration of TDIU is warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney disability and GERD, both claimed as secondary to his service-connected history of viral hepatitis.,VA also denied an increased rating for his service-connected viral hepatitis.

The Board denied the appellant's claim to reopen her husband's service connection for hepatitis C, end-stage liver disease, cirrhosis, and cirrhosis with encephalopathy due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from the Virginia Department of Corrections regarding hepatitis C. The appeal will be reconsidered after this additional development.

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

The Veteran died from hepatic failure and bilateral pneumonia, with liver cirrhosis as a contributing factor. The VA medical opinions determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor did it have its onset within one year of discharge. The cause of his hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis is believed to be drug abuse and exposure to contaminated needles post-service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hepatitis C, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and headaches were denied. The preponderance of the competent and credible evidence is against a finding that any of these conditions are related to military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for hepatitis B under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, finding that his hepatitis B was caused by carelessness or negligence on VA's part in March 2005. The psychiatric disorder secondary to hepatitis B is still pending and will be addressed during a future remand.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not cause or substantially contribute to his death due to multisystem organ failure, including sepsis/acinobacter pneumonia and ARDS. The primary causes of death were related to complications from endocarditis, cardiomyopathy, and liver failure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for hypertension and hearing loss, as well as his service connection claim for hepatitis C, are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and additional medical records.

The Board found that Hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated by service and denied the Veteran's claim.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of bladder cancer due to asbestos exposure.,Service connection is pending for prostate cancer and hepatitis C, both potentially related to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hepatitis C is not related to his service, specifically noting that there was no evidence of a nexus between the in-service airgun injections and the development of hepatitis C. The Veteran's other risk factors for hepatitis C (such as intranasal cocaine use) were also considered.

The Board has granted service connection for Hepatitis C, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether it was incurred during service. Service connection for spondylosis is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic back disability present at separation from service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess his PTSD and hepatitis C.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not caused by a disease or injury in service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.