Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and Hepatitis C virus infection.,Vision impairment due to diabetes mellitus is not service-connected.,The claim of reopening the service connection for Hepatitis C virus infection is granted.,Service connection is denied for an acquired psychiatric disorder.,Issues related to a bilateral foot disorder, total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), and remanded issues are pending.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been granted a 100% disability rating effective April 25, 2005. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for GERD as secondary to service-connected disabilities and entitlement to an increased rating for lumbosacral strain prior to July 5, 2017.

The Board has remanded for further development and opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claims, including those related to toxin exposure at Giessen Army Depot in Germany.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, headache disability, hepatitis, vision disorder, lung disorder (asbestosis and mesothelioma), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) due to incomplete evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for hepatitis C virus (HCV) due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology. The Veteran's HCV is presumed new and material, but a medical opinion is needed to determine if it is related to service.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise, and therefore grants service connection for hepatitis C. The Veteran's consistent accounts of his service and credible testimony are considered along with a medical study supporting a link between tattooing during service and hepatitis C.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right knee disability and hepatitis C as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for steatohepatitis and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to the need for additional VA treatment records, as well as a new examination to address the Veteran's theories of entitlement.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension because he did not meet the basic eligibility requirements due to lack of qualifying wartime service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis was denied. The VA granted a temporary total rating of 100% for lumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome from June 15, 2016 to December 31, 2016 and for cervical spine intervertebral disc syndrome from November 16, 2009 to December 31, 2009. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his lumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, cervical intervertebral disc syndrome, and upper extremities radiculopathy were all denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis B, but the issues of service connection for left leg disorder, back disorder, and right knee disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically schizoaffective disorder, is granted. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding that his current condition is related to his military service. Service connection for hepatitis C is remanded as VA treatment records are needed and a medical opinion on its etiology is required.

The claim for service connection for hepatitis C has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development, including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, hepatitis C, and cirrhosis of liver (secondary to hepatitis C) due to insufficient evidence regarding exposure to herbicide agents in Okinawa. The Veteran's service records indicate he was stationed at Kadena Air Force Base from January 1970 to August 1971.

The Veteran's chronic hepatitis C is granted an increased rating of 20 percent for the period before September 26, 2017. For the period since September 26, 2017, a higher rating than 10 percent is denied. The Veteran's PTSD remains at a 70 percent disability rating.

The Board has restored service connection for Hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver, and chronic adjustment disorder. As a result, the grants of secondary service connection for these conditions, as well as entitlement to TDIU and Dependents’ Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 (DEA), are also restored.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hepatitis C and skin disability, finding that VA examinations are needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for hepatitis C was granted with an effective date of April 16, 2014. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date is one year prior to the date of receipt of the application (April 16, 2015), and denied a request for an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 40 percent for hepatitis C was denied, and his appeal for TDIU was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show incapacitating episodes or substantial weight loss due to hepatitis C, which are required for higher ratings under Diagnostic Code 7354.