Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to hepatic failure and clostridium difficile, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was granted a 60% rating prior to September 1, 2015. A TDIU was also granted prior to September 1, 2015. The effective date for the TDIU is March 10, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and the relationship between service-connected conditions and the Veteran's liver cancer.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disabilities and hepatitis C due to a lack of sufficient evidence to decide the claim. The RO is instructed to obtain all VA medical records, schedule the Veteran for an examination, and provide a definitive opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his knee conditions and hepatitis C.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service, but his peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper and lower extremities is aggravated by his diabetes mellitus. His bilateral ear injury claim has no current evidence of a disability other than hearing loss and tinnitus. His chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with emphysema is not related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and an examination to assess his ability to work.

The Veteran's diagnosed hepatitis C is found to have started during his active duty service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder is found to have contributed to his death from lung cancer, as the evidence shows that his alcohol abuse and resulting liver damage were related to his anxiety disorder. The Board finds in favor of the appellant.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a cardiac disability, and remanded her claims for an increased rating for hepatitis B, a disability rating greater than 10 percent for residuals of a lumbar spine disc herniation, and entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's fatal liver condition and his service, including potential exposure to herbicides. The decision also acknowledges new contentions about psychiatric disorders related to Vietnam service.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty regarding whether hepatitis C, diagnosed during the appeal period, is related to service. The Veteran's claim for hepatic steatosis and hepatitis C will be further developed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hepatitis C, PTSD, and ulnar neuropathy of the left upper extremity have been denied as his service discharge was considered dishonorable for VA purposes.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver are granted as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder with substance abuse. His major depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent since December 27, 2011.

The Board has decided that further efforts are needed to ensure VA has satisfied its duty to assist the Appellant in obtaining all of the Veteran's records from Dr. A.P.K., who treated the Veteran for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis, nervous disorder, and disability manifested by alcoholism due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to outstanding federal records and inextricably interwined TDIU claim.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's claim was not supported by evidence showing a causal relationship between his in-service injuries and his current condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence being added to the file, and a medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's fatal complications of hepatitis C were related to his military service.

The Veteran's cause of death, hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis C infection, is not service connected as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis, hearing loss, and asthma have been reopened. The Board found that the evidence submitted since the March 2008 rating decision relates to an unestablished fact (a relationship between his service and these conditions) and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating their claims.