Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to missing records and the need for additional VA and private treatment records. The case will be returned to the Board after these records are obtained.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was incurred during service and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The request to revise or reverse the July 2004 and August 2004 rating decisions on grounds of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected Hepatitis C, which causes fatigue and other symptoms that prevent him from physically demanding employment.

Service connection for hepatitis C was granted in a November 2, 2013 rating decision. The Veteran was provided notice of this decision and has not appealed it or any other issue.

The Veteran's combined rating is 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a TDIU based on service-connected disabilities. However, his service-connected left ankle disability did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for hepatitis A was denied in July 2002, and new evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran's claim for hepatitis B was denied in July 2002, and new evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran's claim for hepatitis C was reopened based on new evidence showing ongoing treatment for the condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to ensure proper discharge of VA's duty to assist, and the case is therefore being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated at a 10 percent disability rating since January 31, 2011. The Board found that the symptoms have not met or more nearly approximated the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected condition, hepatitis C. The evidence does not support a finding that the hepatitis C was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis was denied as there is no evidence of current disability.,The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD was also denied due to lack of current symptoms warranting such a rating.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than July 12, 2007 for the evaluation of 30 percent for chronic adjustment disorder has been granted. The earliest date on which entitlement to a 30 percent evaluation arose was December 19, 2006.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is attributable to service, and thus grants service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or contributed substantially or materially to his death, including from alcoholism.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for hepatitis with stomach problems and found that new and material evidence had not been received. The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a video conference hearing. The issues of rating hepatitis C, service connection for right leg disability, and service connection for neck disability are pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hepatitis C did not begin during service and was not caused by any incident of service. The most probative evidence indicates that hepatitis C is not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with hepatitis C and the Board finds that this condition is related to his military service, granting service connection for hepatitis C.

The Board has decided that an examination is needed to determine the cause of hepatitis C, and the case will be returned for further action.

The Veteran's Hepatitis C is related to his military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding whether the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his service-connected PTSD. The VA will need to conduct a VA examination to determine if there is an association between the Veteran's IV drug abuse and his service-connected PTSD.