Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Veteran's hepatitis C is found to be related to his active duty service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his in-service activities and his current diagnosis of hepatitis C.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance or housebound rate due to insufficient evidence showing he requires regular aid and assistance from another person.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding that there is no linkage between his current condition and an in-service episode of 'hepatitis' or administration of inoculations by jet gun injector.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C was granted with an effective date of February 23, 2010. The decision is based on the most recent claim to reopen service connection for Hepatitis C.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection claims for various conditions due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Veteran's liver disability is denied as service connection. The issues of service connection for anemia and back disability are remanded.

The claims for service connection of hepatitis C and posttraumatic stress disorder have been reopened, but the issues of increased ratings for left wrist fracture with strain and left elbow arthralgia, as well as TDIU, are still pending.,Additional evidence has been submitted to support reopening of the hepatitis C and PTSD claims. However, further development is needed in order to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and tuberculosis are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and a VA examination. The claim will be readjudicated after the development is completed.

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

The Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for hepatitis C and asbestosis have been denied due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection has been granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as major depressive disorder, secondary to service-connected acne vulgaris.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence of hypertension in service or within one year of separation. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability and that his contentions were not credible.,The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for hepatitis C was also denied as there is no evidence showing that he received VA blood transfusion in December 2001, or that the transfusion caused his hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the timing and nature of his exposure to herbicides, as well as incomplete treatment records. The AOJ is instructed to verify proximity to Vietnam and obtain pertinent VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD has been granted. The Board found that the evidence is at least in equipoise and resolved all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, finding a current diagnosis related to an in-service stressor. Other service connection claims are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether hepatitis B, noted as significant in the death certificate, is related to viral hepatitis found in service. The examiner must determine if hepatitis B was at least as likely as not caused by or contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for chronic headaches and arthritis, bilateral hands was denied as the new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.,The Veteran's requests to reopen claims for hepatitis C, bilateral vision issues, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and prostate cancer were also denied due to lack of material evidence addressing the service connection elements of in-service incurrence or nexus.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for various issues due to the lack of an adequate substantive appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been granted as new and material evidence was received.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression has been reopened due to the receipt of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been reopened and granted. The claims for Meniere’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease/Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include generalized anxiety disorder), cirrhosis of the liver, a left shoulder disability, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity are all remanded.

The Board has found that the Veteran's lower back disability, right hip disability, and hepatitis C were not shown in service or related to an in-service injury or disease. The claims for these conditions are denied. The claim for a TDIU is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the rating issue.