Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his request to withdraw the appeals for whether new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen a claim for entitlement to service connection for residuals of hepatitis and entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver have not resulted in sufficient symptoms to warrant a higher rating.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for malaria, hepatitis, a prostate condition, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The evidence did not establish current disabilities or link these conditions to service.

The Veteran's marginal zone lymphoma is granted service connection based on presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for Hepatitis C remains pending.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and bilateral knee disorder are not service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a risk factor for contracting hepatitis C related to his in-service vaccinations, and thus denied service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in service and denied both his claim for service connection and his TDIU claim due to anxiety disorder.

The Board has ordered remand to obtain additional medical opinions and compliance with prior remand instructions. The appeal will be returned for further action.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the claims by the Veteran.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but the claim remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his service-connected throat cyst removal surgery and hepatitis C has been denied. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and he has service connection for polysubstance abuse secondary to his PTSD. His hepatitis-C and cirrhosis of the liver are also found to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected polysubstance abuse disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and assigned a 50 percent rating for esophageal stricture. The claim for an initial compensable rating for GERD prior to May 26, 2017 is dismissed as the appellant withdrew his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, reopening the claim and finding that it was incurred in service. The other claims remain pending as additional development is needed.

The Veteran's hepatitis B condition is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence provided.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are denied as there is no credible evidence of Agent Orange exposure, and the conditions claimed are not shown to be related to his active military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claim for service connection for cirrhosis of the liver, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred from January 15 to January 19, 2010 at Glen Falls Hospital were reimbursed due to the nature of his symptoms and the unavailability of VA facilities.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and peripheral neuropathy are found to be related to service, with the most likely source being drug use in the early 1970s. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hepatitis B disability is related to his service, as it represents a continuation of the same condition diagnosed during service (Hepatitis A). Service connection for hepatitis B is granted.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board found that the submitted evidence since the July 2009 final denial is essentially cumulative of the evidence previously of record with regard to the basis for the prior denial, and thus did not meet the criteria for reopening any of the Veteran's claims.