Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and hepatitis C due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided are inadequate for the claims of service connection for a back disability, Hepatitis C, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD. The Veteran's claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's neck, low back, right hip, and bilateral foot disabilities are being reviewed again as new evidence suggests a possible link to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records from his Marine Corps Reserve service and VA treatment records. The Veteran is also required to provide private chiropractic treatment records.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and hepatitis C are all being reviewed to determine if they are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and anxiety disorder as secondary to hepatitis C due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and hepatitis C. The reasons given were that the conditions did not manifest in service or within a presumptive period, there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology, and there was insufficient medical opinion linking the conditions to service.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was granted a non-compensable rating prior to November 18, 2015 and a compensable rating from that date. A separate compensable rating for cirrhosis of the liver is granted starting from November 18, 2015.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain service treatment records from Castle Air Force Base regarding the Veteran's 1972 hospitalization for hepatitis C. The RO is instructed to attempt to retrieve these records and provide an addendum opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's hepatitis C was related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Hepatitis A, B, and C, as well as anxiety disorder are reopened.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of hepatitis C, specifically in relation to service and air gun vaccinations.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral eye disability and hepatitis C, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and for further evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder, as well as TDIU.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's left shoulder and right shoulder osteoarthritis, unspecified depressive disorder, hypertension, hepatitis C, headache, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity are all granted service connection.,Service connection for sleep apnea is granted as secondary to the Veteran's now service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of a right-hand injury and non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver due to DBNP, finding that there is no link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hypertension is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the Board finds that any hypertension diagnosed post-service is not related to his military service.,The Veteran's service connection claim for a penis disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the Board finds that any penis disability diagnosed post-service is not related to his military service.,The Veteran's service connection claim for psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder due to another medical condition with depressed features) is granted as it is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and hepatitis C.,The Veteran's service connection claim for hepatitis C is granted based on new evidence that reopened the previously denied claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to refractory hypovolemic shock, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, bleeding esophageal varices, and liver cirrhosis as these conditions were not related to military service or any service-connected disability.