Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, as his liver cancer and hepatitis C were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's hepatitis claims are remanded due to inadequate examination and incomplete record. The examiner should consider all types of hepatitis, including Hepatitis A, B, and C, and address the Veteran's allegations of service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for gastric antrum/peptic ulcer disease, cause of death (including pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151), and dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to new evidence received since the last final rating decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current hepatitis C disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and an effective date of February 3, 2004, was granted for the TDIU.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining a new VA opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's cervical myelopathy and hepatitis C. The issues are related to service connection under direct theory.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for hepatitis B and TDIU due to potential overlap in symptoms between hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and because a decision on one claim could significantly impact the other.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver have been rated at 20% and 30%, respectively. The VA has not had an opportunity to review recent medical records from Gastroenterology Associates of North Texas, so these records need to be obtained.

The Veteran's service connection claims for cirrhosis of the liver and hypertension were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the cirrhosis to Agent Orange exposure or diabetes mellitus, and that the hypertension did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of hepatitis C and tuberculosis were denied in prior rating decisions. New evidence has reopened these claims, but the claims are still denied as there is no current disability related to these conditions.,Service connection was also denied for a skin disorder of the penis, to include dermatitis and a fungal disorder.

The Veteran's back disability and liver condition are being remanded for further development. His TDIU claim from April 29, 2011 to May 20, 2017 is also being remanded.

The Board has not yet decided the claims for hepatitis C and bilateral hearing loss. The cases are being sent back to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Veteran's dominant bile duct stricture and cirrhosis of the liver were not caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or error. The evidence does not support a finding that VA treatment was at fault.

The Veteran's petitions to reopen claims of service connection for various conditions were denied as new and material evidence was not received. The appeals are dismissed.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's death, and no service connection was granted for any condition.

The Veteran's hepatitis B was found to be non-symptomatic and not active, resulting in a denial of an initial compensable rating. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus to include as secondary to herbicide agent exposure due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's in-service exposure.

The Board denied service connection for Hepatitis C as the Veteran was not exposed to unclean vaccination needles in service and his disease is not related to service.

A rating of 30 percent for major depressive disorder from December 2, 2011 to August 9, 2015 is granted. Appeals seeking service connection for various knee and ankle disorders, as well as earlier effective dates for the psychiatric and skin disabilities are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and review of medical records, particularly regarding the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange and his service-connected conditions.