Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hepatitis C and kidney problems (diagnosed as chronic kidney disease) has been withdrawn. The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder in early remission is granted an increased rating of 70 percent, but not higher.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is remanded and will be reviewed again.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for hepatitis C and his claim for TDIU have been remanded due to the need for a new VA examination, as well as additional development regarding his employment status.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his Hepatitis C, diabetes mellitus, liver transplant, and hernias. The issues of secondary service connection for these conditions will also be addressed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate development and lack of compliance with previous directives. The Veteran's neck and scalp cysts are being reviewed again, but the hepatitis C claim is pending as a statement of the case has not yet been issued.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination regarding the Veteran's liver disability, including cirrhosis and hepatitis.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and cirrhosis of the liver as there was no evidence to support a direct link between these conditions and the Veteran's active service, including exposure to JP-4 jet fuel.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver as there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.,The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and bilateral knee disability due to potential issues with the adequacy of the VA examination opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims for rating higher than 10 percent for hepatitis C and entitlement to TDIU due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives regarding weight loss from February 2010 to April 2010.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is now rated at the highest available rating of 70 percent, effective June 25, 2020.,A total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) has been granted from December 3, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for a lung disorder and chronic liver disease (hepatitis C) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service, including exposure to asbestos or hepatitis C.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to be the cause of his death from end stage liver disease with cirrhosis. As this constitutes a direct service connection, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional development and adjudication, including obtaining Social Security Administration records.

The Board has accepted the August 2018 Notice of Disagreement (NOD) as timely and has remanded both issues for further development. The Veteran's hepatitis C claim is remanded to obtain a supplemental medical opinion, while his right knee condition claim is remanded to issue a Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and its residuals were not shown to be related to service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's heart disability other than CAD and lung disability are denied as not related to service, including herbicide agent exposure.,The Veteran's hepatitis B is remanded for further analysis regarding its relation to service, specifically herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis C, and thus remands the case to obtain relevant SSA records.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and denied service connection for liver disability (including hepatitis C), diabetes mellitus, type II, and pancreatitis. The back disability is related to an in-service injury, while the liver disability, including hepatitis C, was not related to service. Diabetes mellitus, type II, and pancreatitis are also not related to service.