Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C as the appellant accepted an undesirable discharge to escape trial by general court-martial, and thus is barred from VA compensation and pension benefits based on his service from April 21, 1981 to June 15, 1982.

The Board has decided that a VA medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's renal disease and diabetes mellitus contributed to his death, given his service-connected conditions and exposure to Agent Orange.

The claim for service connection for hepatitis C was denied due to lack of evidence. The claim for depression is remanded as the VA examiner must provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and military service.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for hepatitis C due to the need for a VA examination and the need to obtain additional medical records.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's hepatocellular carcinoma was caused by exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. His hepatitis B and kidney spleen shunt were not caused by his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and lichen simplex chronicus and prurigo nodularis claims are being remanded for further development.,Other service connection, rating assignment, and individual unemployability issues are also being referred back to the RO.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to hepatitis C which was related to service and contributed to his liver cancer.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's hepatitis C and his exposure at Camp Lejeune. The VA needs to obtain updated treatment records, SSA disability benefits documents, and provide a new medical opinion considering other risk factors.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, hepatitis C, bilateral hearing loss, and prostate condition as the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's cause of death was hepatic coma, caused by cirrhosis and ETOH abuse. The VA has reopened the claim but denied service connection due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for hepatitis C is remanded due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for psoriasis, as secondary to hepatitis C, is remanded because no VA examiner has considered the February 2010 study indicating that psoriasis is associated with hepatitis C.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking his diagnosed conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated at 40 percent, and the Board is remanding both his initial rating claim for a higher rating and his TDIU claim due to ongoing treatment with interferon.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and hepatitis C due to outstanding VA and private treatment records not being obtained. The Veteran will need to provide authorization for these records, and an adequate VA examination will be conducted.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder and hepatitis C were not incurred or aggravated during his period of service.,Service connection was denied for both conditions as there is no evidence linking the current disabilities to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, cervical dysplasia, hepatitis C, and depressive disorder.,Service connection was not granted as the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Board has denied service connection for hepatitis C and remanded the issue of service connection for a bilateral knee condition due to lack of sufficient medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis C, bilateral pes planus, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.