Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Veteran died in 2012 due to sepsis, hepatic carcinoma, end stage liver disease, and hepatitis C. The Board found no service connection for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of loss of use of extremities, blindness in both eyes with 20/200 visual acuity or less, and other specific requirements.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand, and PTSD. The case is remanded to obtain a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date prior to August 18, 2011 for the grant of service connection for GERD with insomnia is denied.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C remains pending and will be remanded for further development.,The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for lumbar arthralgia with lumbar spondylosis, right shoulder arthralgia, left shoulder arthralgia, left leg pain, and right leg pain are all pending and will be remanded for further development.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension (high blood pressure) remains pending and will be remanded for further development.,The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for dizziness, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) remain pending and will be remanded for further development.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a sleep disorder (including sleep apnea), claimed as a respiratory condition, remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C was denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (including anxiety and depression) was also denied.

The Board has remanded the cases due to missing treatment records from a VA facility in Maguire, Virginia, dating back to at least 1980.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete information regarding his periods of Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve service. Additionally, a VA examination is needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine condition, erectile dysfunction, sleep disorder, liver condition (hepatitis C), and papular dermatitis with pruritus of the right forearm.

The Veteran's cause of death is not related to service or a service-connected condition, and the Board finds that there is no nexus between his death and exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, liver disease (including cirrhosis of the liver and hepatoma), and depression, all found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hepatitis C.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis C, as well as the TDIU and SMC claims due to a duty-to-assist error in obtaining retrospective medical opinions that reconcile conflicting evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for hepatitis B was denied, and his claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA treatment records and incomplete examination reports.

The Veteran's hepatitis B was granted a 60% disability rating from June 30, 2015 to September 24, 2018. The appeal is remanded for further development regarding the issue of total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for chronic hepatitis C as there is no current diagnosis of the condition and it was attributed to non-service related risk factors.

The Veteran's claim for a separate evaluation for cirrhosis is denied as the symptoms are indistinguishable from those of his service-connected hepatitis C. The issue of entitlement to a higher rating for hepatitis C on an extraschedular basis is dismissed as moot due to the Veteran's TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for low back and bilateral foot disabilities, hepatitis A/B, and a psychiatric disorder. The claim for hepatitis A/B was reopened but the service connection remains denied.

The Veteran's previously denied claims for left knee disability and hepatitis (claimed as hepatitis B and D) have been reopened. The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to support these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and peripheral neuropathy. The decision found no current diagnosis of hepatitis and that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for schizophrenia, PTSD, and various other conditions have been denied. The claim for joint pain, right knee condition, status post left leg fracture with pin placement, eye condition, sinusitis, acid reflux, hepatitis C, erectile dysfunction, enlarged prostate, and athlete’s foot has also been denied due to lack of evidence of in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the claims of increased rating for hearing loss and earlier effective date for TDIU due to incomplete development. The Veteran's claims will be further processed.