Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2016

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding that it was caused by his in-service intravenous drug use and thus not incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and no service connection decision could be made.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis B and mononucleosis were denied as new and material evidence was not received. The claim for coronary artery disease is denied because the condition did not onset in service or within one year of separation, and there is no link to service. The claim for residuals of a third rib fracture remains service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining authorization from interested parties to access medical records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service, but he is found to be unemployable due to his PTSD. The TDIU claim is granted.

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

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

The Veteran's hepatitis is not service-connected as it did not have its clinical onset during service and there is no evidence of a nexus to service.,The Veteran's heart condition is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in service, nor any nexus to service.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in service and the current disability is not related to service.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in service, nor any nexus to service.,The Veteran's urinary condition is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in service and the current disability is not related to service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hepatitis C, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted and others not.

The Veteran's vision loss is not service-connected due to the lack of evidence showing that his refractive error was permanently aggravated by a superimposed disease or injury in service.,For hepatitis C, the Veteran has been rated at 10 percent prior to February 18, 2012 and denied for higher ratings. The Veteran's symptoms have not met the criteria for a 20 percent rating due to insufficient evidence of incapacitating episodes lasting at least two weeks. He is also denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent after February 18, 2012 as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for such a rating.,The Veteran's left fifth finger disability has been rated at zero percent and he is denied higher ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss disability. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are supported by competent medical evidence, and the causal relationship between his service-connected diabetes mellitus and PTSD is established.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for alcoholic hepatitis and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a relationship between his current hepatitis C diagnosis and in-service risk factors.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and hepatitis were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. Bilateral hearing loss was shown to have pre-existed his active duty, while hepatitis resolved without residuals during his service.

The Veteran's death was caused by Hepatitis C, which he contracted during his active duty service. The Board finds the evidence as likely as not that the Veteran was exposed to hepatitis C during his service in Vietnam and grants service connection for cause of death.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver associated with hepatitis C are not rated higher than 20 percent prior to February 24, 2011, and 40 percent thereafter. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is also not rated higher than 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining an opinion on the cause of his hepatitis C and whether a thyroid disorder is secondary to hepatitis C.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, diabetes mellitus type II, a heart disability, and hepatitis C, combined to make him incapable of obtaining and maintaining gainful employment prior to his death. As such, he is granted TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his service, specifically air gun inoculations. The Veteran needs a new examination and medical opinion.