Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not manifested in service and did not find a causal relationship between her current condition and her military service. The preponderance of evidence is against her claim.

The Veteran's current hepatitis C disability is related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was initially rated at 10 percent from March 27, 2012 to August 13, 2012 and increased to 40 percent thereafter. The decision also noted the presence of cirrhosis as a sequela.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the cause of death, specifically hepatitis B and C. The VA is requested to obtain a new VA medical opinion addressing the Appellant's lay contentions about his service exposure.

The Veteran's widow is appealing for service connection for the cause of his death, which was attributed to liver failure. The appeal is being remanded due to incomplete medical records and a need for a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's PTSD and alcohol/drug use.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is found to have contributed substantially or materially to his death from end stage liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatitis C. As a result, the Board grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis B as there is no current disability and the positive hepatitis B antibody test result in his blood does not constitute a disability.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated at 10 percent since the initial grant of service connection. The Board finds that the current symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's liver disorders are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for the Veteran's claimed conditions as there is no evidence of a direct relationship between his active duty service and any current disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to his in-service diagnosis of HAA-positive hepatitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's fibromyalgia originated during her active service and is granted service connection for this condition. The claim for hepatitis C remains pending as additional development is required.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis B and hepatitis C due to a need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling an examination by a VA examiner.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, pneumonia, and dysentery were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of a diagnosed disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a Joint Motion for Partial Remand (JMR) that vacated the Board's decision as to the issue of entitlement service connection for a liver disorder, to include hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected hepatitis C was denied as the current disability picture does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection are being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and to schedule a new VA examination.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of his current diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for sarcoidosis is being remanded to obtain an opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his diagnosed condition.

The Board denied reopening of service connection for PTSD, hypertension, and other conditions due to lack of evidence supporting the claims.,Service connection was not granted for hypertension, musculoskeletal condition, liver condition/cirrhosis, macular degeneration with glaucoma of the right eye, or loss of vision of the left eye as there was no established service connection.,The Board also denied reopening of service connection for CAD and diabetes mellitus type II due to lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of hepatitis C is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection. For the fracture of the right metatarsal with degenerative changes, a 10 percent evaluation was granted.

The Veteran's appeal of the issue of service connection for fatigue has been dismissed.,Service connection is granted for autoimmune hepatitis.