Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to an error in characterizing the Veteran's discharge, and these claims are now subject to further review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic pancreatic cancer, was caused by his exposure to Benzene and Trichloroethylene in service or his service-connected hepatitis. As a result, the appeal for service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's June 2017 VA Form 9 substantive appeal was timely filed, and as a result, the underlying claims under the legacy system must be reinstated. The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are granted.

The Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's cause of death is related to service, as evidenced by his in-service complaints and ongoing symptoms. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an advisory medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service and his post-service health issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, hepatitis C, and respiratory conditions (including sinusitis) are related to service. However, his bilateral hearing loss and flash burn with chronic watery and corneal scarring (eye condition) require further examination and medical opinion.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as proximately due to his service-connected major depressive disorder, while other issues are denied.

The Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal regarding a rating reduction for Hepatitis C has been dismissed due to their death.

Service connection for Hepatitis C is granted.,Service connection for Prostate Cancer and residuals thereof as due to Camp Lejeune exposure is denied. Service connection for Erectile Dysfunction as secondary to prostate cancer is also denied.,Service connection for a right knee disability is remanded, and service connection for a left knee disability is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on all issues except tinnitus have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the claims by the Veteran. The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted an increased rating to 70 percent for the entire period on appeal.,The Veteran was also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD and Hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for hepatitis C is denied. The claims of entitlement to a compensable initial rating for migraine headaches and TDIU are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for hepatitis C was reopened and granted. The claims for left knee osteophytosis and right total knee replacement were denied.,The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (previously claimed as PTSD) is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was granted with an effective date of February 5, 2018.,The Veteran's claim for kidney disease associated with cirrhosis of the liver was also granted with an effective date of February 5, 2018. The Board found that the earlier grant of service connection for cirrhosis of the liver is what 'arose' first in terms of entitlement.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for recurrent liver disability (including hepatitis C and cirrhosis) and left lower extremity neuropathy are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the inextricability of his service connection claims. The Board will consider all pending service connection claims before deciding on the TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as it was caused by hazardous noise exposure in service.,Service connection for hepatitis C with liver cirrhosis is denied because there is no evidence of onset or causation during service and the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis prior to separation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C may be related to service, specifically air gun injections during military service. However, a VA examination is needed to provide an opinion on this relationship.