Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's proteinuria and hepatitis C have been evaluated, but the psychiatric disability claim is pending further clarification.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to his service-connected disability or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, left wrist DJD, and hepatitis C are related to service. The right shoulder, right knee, left knee, low back, and respiratory disabilities are not shown to be related to service. Bilateral hearing loss is also not shown to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding her hepatitis and liver disease, as well as her bilateral wrist, arm/elbow, and back disabilities. The TDIU claim is also being deferred until further adjudication of the other issues.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and hypertension are not service-connected as they are both attributed to his own willful misconduct, specifically intravenous drug use for hepatitis C and alcohol abuse for hypertension.

The Board has ordered a remand to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death from alcoholic cirrhosis and peripheral vascular disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and his new and material evidence claims have not been successful. His erectile dysfunction is currently rated as noncompensable. The Veteran's Hepatitis C claim has no relationship to service, and his eye disorder claim was found to be unrelated to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a new VA addendum opinion regarding his ability to secure and maintain gainful employment due to his service-connected HIV and hepatitis B.

The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, or hepatitis A. The evidence did not establish a verified in-service stressor for PTSD and there was no medical nexus linking current symptoms to service. For hypertension, there were no complaints or treatment during service and no evidence of continuity of symptomatology post-service. For hepatitis A, the Veteran's statements regarding his history were considered but without additional examination findings, it could not be determined if he currently has hepatitis A or any residuals thereof.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection for myocardial infarction with congestive heart failure, finding that the earliest possible effective date was December 5, 2008. The issues of cervical spine disability, cirrhosis, sinusitis, and pharyngitis were also addressed but not decided.

The Veteran seeks service connection for hepatitis C. The VA examiner opined that the current diagnosis is at least as likely as not related to heroin use in his second period of active duty service, but did not consider possible exposure to blood from injured servicemen during combat. The Board finds this inadequate and remands the case for a new examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is caused by his IV drug use during active service, and he has secondary cirrhosis of the liver with ascites and liver cancer. Service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to perceived deficiencies within a December 2014 VA examination, and both hepatitis C service connection and secondary diabetes mellitus claims are now pending for further development.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability and/or otherwise attributable to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and was not exposed to herbicides, thus denying service connection for all claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and hypertension, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active service or any other compensable basis.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been undetectable on laboratory testing and he does not have current symptoms. He is therefore not entitled to a rating in excess of the currently assigned 10 percent for this condition.,Throughout the appeal period, the Veteran's sinusitis has not resulted in incapacitating episodes or more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting. Therefore, he is not entitled to a rating in excess of 10 percent for this condition.,The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine has resulted in flexion limited to 90 degrees with a combined range of motion of 180 degrees and no objective evidence of muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or spinal contour. He is therefore not entitled to a rating in excess of the currently assigned 10 percent for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, residuals of TBI, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPV), but denied service connection for hepatitis C. The effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is October 31, 2009.

The Veteran's hypertension and liver cirrhosis were not incurred during service, are not related to herbicide exposure, and do not have a direct relationship with his service-connected diabetes. The claims for increased ratings for neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of each lower extremity and upper extremities as well as for an effective date prior to May 30, 2013 were denied.

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