Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the character of the appellant's discharge is not a bar to VA benefits, other than medical care under Chapter 17. The appeal for service connection and pension claims will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his recent move and the need for a rescheduled Board hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for multiple disabilities are referred back to the AOJ.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was rated at 10% prior to January 2, 2008 and granted a 40% rating from January 2, 2008 to November 30, 2008.,A subsequent reduction in rating to 10% was granted for the period after December 1, 2008.

The Board found that the Veteran's Hepatitis C Virus did not originate during his service or for many years after it concluded and is not otherwise related to his service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability was denied. The RO granted a 40 percent rating effective August 4, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated during active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis C. However, the claim is denied as the Veteran's current diagnosis of hepatitis C is not related to his military service due to his willful misconduct in using IV drugs.

The Veteran's claim for hepatitis C service connection is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during or after service. The claims for increased ratings for left carpal tunnel syndrome and calcium chip-like deposits in the elbows are also denied, with the latter being rated at 10% due to current symptoms not meeting criteria for higher ratings. The claim for compensable rating for scar of the left cheek is pending.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for hepatitis C prior to August 27, 2009, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for hepatitis C is pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C and associated liver damage are not related to his service, including his in-service treatment for infectious hepatitis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C, erectile dysfunction (secondary to diabetes mellitus), and an increased rating for diabetes mellitus were denied. The claim of new and material evidence for hepatitis C was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's sole service-connected disability (Hepatitis D) is rated as 20 percent disabling and does not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating, including on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated as 10 percent disabling, and the issues of entitlement to higher ratings for hepatitis C and migraine headaches have been denied.

The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be due to cirrhosis, which was aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and substance abuse.,Service connection for hepatitis C is granted as it was proximately caused by the Veteran's service-connected substance abuse.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and primary biliary cirrhosis to include auto immune cholangitis (claimed as liver and auto immune condition), finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causation. The claim for peripheral neuropathy is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of his claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his hepatitis C condition.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, as it has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.