Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2019

The Board has found that a remand is necessary for further medical examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations. The issues of increased rating for PTSD, TDIU, and service connection for various disabilities are also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected hepatitis caused his pancytopenia, which in turn contributed to his death from leukemia. The Board finds reasonable doubt and grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sarcoidosis and infectious hepatitis due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran is being asked to provide information about his treatment providers, obtain any outstanding VA records, and undergo examinations to determine the nature and cause of his conditions.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was granted an initial 40 percent rating, but no higher. The issue of TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is remanded.

The Veteran's osteoarthritis, GERD, malaria, and infectious hepatitis are all granted service connection. However, the Veteran's osteoarthritis is denied as it did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to appellate review for the issues of service connection for PTSD, cirrhosis, Hepatitis C and follicular lymphoma.

The Veteran's appeals for hepatitis C, type II diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, and major depressive disorder have been dismissed as the Veteran requested a withdrawal of these appeals prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a disability of service origin, finding that cirrhosis of the liver did not result from any service-connected condition. The Veteran died in 1971 as a result of cirrhosis of the liver.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C and right foot disability were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.,Memory loss is considered a symptom of the service-connected adjustment disorder with anxiety, so it does not warrant separate service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his own willful misconduct, and at the time of death he was not in receipt of compensation for service-connected disability that met the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Veteran's claim for hepatitis C service connection was denied, and his PTSD claim was reopened but not granted. The case is remanded to consider the PTSD claim on its merits.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically whether his liver cancer or hepatitis C is related to his active duty service.

The Board denied the petition to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to lack of new and material evidence, concluding that the appellant's statements do not provide a credible medical opinion linking the Veteran's cause of death to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred during service and is not related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's impotence is not secondary to his service-connected PTSD, but it also has no clear relation to any in-service event.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for a right ear cyst and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hepatitis C as there was no final RO decision on these issues, and the Veteran did not file timely NODs.

The Veteran's tinnitus, liver cirrhosis, and gallbladder removal are all found to be related to service. The effective date for these determinations is not specified.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to oversight of the Veteran being put on dialysis in ICU immediately following his CABG surgery, which may have contributed to his development of hepatitis C. The VA physician is asked to reconsider their medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran acquired hepatitis C as a result of his November 2000 CABG surgery and hospitalization at VAMC.