Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, an eye disability, hepatitis C, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee strain. The evidence did not support a valid diagnosis of PTSD based on a corroborated in-service stressor.

The Board has determined that the VA opinions obtained in June 2021 were not fully responsive to the directives and thus remanded for an addendum opinion. The Veteran's hepatitis B/C claim is now being reviewed due to this issue.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is found to be related to his service, specifically the contaminated air gun injections he received during active duty. The Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has found that the Veteran's March 6, 2008 Notice of Disagreement was timely and remanded the cases for preparation of a Statement of the Case (SOC). The SOC should address earlier effective date for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and service connection for hepatitis C, left upper extremity neuropathy, and sickle cell anemia.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C, liver fibrosis and scarring, and depression and sleep problems as the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of these conditions. The Board also noted that private treatment records established that the Veteran developed depression following a non-service-connected neck injury.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded the issues of service connection for tinnitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hepatitis C. Service connection for hepatitis C was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The cases of hepatitis C and liver disability are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder was granted in a September 2023 rating decision.,Service connection for hypertension has been established due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,The Veteran's skin condition and hepatitis C are both remanded for further development as the Board requires additional medical opinions.,The Veteran's service connection claims for a skin condition and hepatitis C remain pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death due to cardiac cirrhosis and liver failure. The Board found that the heart conditions were not caused by herbicide exposure, but rather by obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted prior to August 10, 2022. Service connection for hepatitis B and a respiratory disorder (claimed as respiratory insufficiency, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, and sleep apnea) are denied. An initial rating higher than 60 percent for renal insufficiency is denied prior to March 5, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the receipt of additional VA records. The AOJ will review these records and issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's claim for service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for hepatitis C was denied as the evidence did not support a finding of exposure to tainted blood during service or a causal link between his heart condition and hepatitis C.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to address the issues of service connection and rating for various conditions, including liver disability, respiratory disability, cardiac condition, GERD, allergic rhinitis, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis B and hepatitis C due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of hepatitis C, finding that there is no evidence showing a link between his military service and the development of this condition.

The Board denied the reopening of claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, poor eyesight (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus), erectile dysfunction (claimed as secondary to a service-connected condition), hypertension, and kidney damage (secondary to hepatitis C).

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded the cases of hepatitis C, erectile dysfunction, PTSD, and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence.