Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD and cirrhosis of the liver, as well as the claim for cause of death. The VA will obtain additional medical records and provide a new opinion regarding the Veteran's exposure to JP-4 jet fuel during service and its relation to his current conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cirrhosis of the liver as a residual of his service-connected non-Hodgkin's lymphoma due to lack of confirmed diagnosis.

The Board has granted service connection for liver disease, including hepatitis C and hepatic steatosis, finding that the Veteran's hepatitis C began during active duty service and his hepatic steatosis is secondary to his hepatitis C.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's service connection claims for hepatitis C, hemorrhoids, rhinitis, sinusitis, kidney condition, cirrhosis of the liver, hemochromatosis, and arthritis due to issues with the character of discharge from his second period of active duty.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and TDIU due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service, and because the Veteran's disabilities did not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the cases of cirrhosis, diabetic retinopathy evaluation, and TDIU prior to February 2, 2018 due to insufficient evidence for a definitive diagnosis of cirrhosis and issues related to service connection.

The Veteran's hepatitis C is rated at 20 percent disabling, and the Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating. The claim for TDIU was also denied as there was insufficient information to determine if he could not secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C is denied because there is no evidence of a causal link between the condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis C and PAD secondary to service-connected disability due to insufficient medical opinions. The VA is required to obtain an addendum opinion from a clinician addressing the Veteran's tobacco abuse, substance abuse (including alcohol, marijuana, and heroin), and their relationship to his service-connected PTSD, heart disability, lung cancer disability, and hepatitis C/PAD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, lichen simplex chronicus and prurigo nodularis associated with hepatitis C, mild spondylosis of the lumbar spine, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral) associated with mild spondylosis of the lumbar spine due to new evidence received since the last decision.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hepatitis C due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's stressor allegation needs verification, and VA treatment records need to be obtained.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was nonsymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of sarcoidosis, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis C, and chronic renal disease as these conditions were not claimed or arose within one year after separation from active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for liver disease (including cirrhosis, hepatitis C, and liver cancer), finding that it is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression and/or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disability, claimed as depression, has been withdrawn.,Service connection for hepatitis C and liver disease was denied due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service or secondary to another condition. New and material evidence was not received to reopen these claims.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his upper gastrointestinal bleeding, cirrhosis, and cholangiocarcinoma were not related to service or any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and all issues are dismissed.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for chronic low back disorder and hepatitis C, as well as rating and effective date determinations. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including those for recurrent hepatitis disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and an acquired psychiatric disability. The Veteran needs to provide updated medical records and further examination is required.