Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of PID, status post hysterectomy and arthritis of hands and shoulders. The claim for hepatitis C remains denied.,Service connection is not granted for PID, status post hysterectomy or arthritis of hands and shoulders.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining missing records and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's death is being remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine if his service-connected conditions contributed to his cause of death. The DIC claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is also inextricably intertwined and will be remanded as well.

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

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that he contracted hepatitis C during his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

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

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, hypertension, and dysthymic disorder (claimed as depression) are being remanded due to the need for additional development including a VA examination.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was increased to a 20 percent rating effective December 31, 2007. The RO also granted the highest available rating of 100 percent for his hepatitis C effective August 1, 2013.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by septic/shock due to pneumonia, which is linked to his service-connected hepatitis C. The Board finds that the use of interferon therapy for his hepatitis C contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Hepatitis C is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess whether his current diagnosis of Hepatitis C may be related to in-service risk factors such as tattoos, and if so, whether these are causally related to his disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis and COPD are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records from Rock Island Army Arsenal and SSA records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a psychiatric examination to address whether the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are related to service and any in-service personal assault. The examiner should also consider the impact of the Veteran's psychiatric disability on his use of intravenous street drugs.

Prior to April 4, 2007, the Veteran was granted a 30 percent rating for PTSD with major depressive disorder associated with hepatitis C.,Beginning on April 4, 2007, he was granted a 50 percent rating.

The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the claim of service connection for hepatitis C, but determined that there was no causal link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hepatitis C was less likely than not incurred in or caused by his military service, attributing it to post-service drug use.

The Veteran's death was caused by hepatitis C, which the Board finds at least as likely as not to have been caused by a blood transfusion in December 1980. As this event was not reasonably foreseeable and there is no evidence of negligence or fault on VA's part, the appellant is granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is not incurred or aggravated by service, and instead more likely resulted from a blood transfusion prior to his entrance into active duty service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a current diagnosis of hepatitis C.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service and therefore denied her claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to address the relationship between hepatitis C and his service-connected hepatitis B. The issue of an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hepatitis B will also be addressed.