Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, disability of both hips, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, asbestos exposure, and tuberculosis are all granted. The Veteran is assigned a 30 percent rating for his cervical spine disability since March 26, 2008.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed due to his Vietnam service, and he has been granted service connection. However, there is no evidence linking the Veteran's hepatitis C to his military service.

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

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of additional medical records, including those from June 2009 onwards. The case will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's hepatitis C with portal fibrosis and cirrhosis was granted a rating of 30 percent prior to November 22, 2004. Beginning November 22, 2004, the Veteran is entitled to an increased rating of 50 percent for this condition. The Veteran's pulmonary sarcoidosis with dry eyes is rated at 60 percent since its onset.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C infection was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete verification of his reserve service and the need to obtain additional medical records, including from Korea during his active duty.

The Board has vacated the previous decision and remanded the case due to insufficient examination findings regarding the relationship between hepatitis C and service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a bilateral eye disability, asbestosis, hepatitis C, arthritis of all joints, sinusitis, HIV, and recurrent pneumonia. The Board also denied his claim for an increased rating for residuals of a chip fracture of the right thumb.

The VA determined that the Veteran's Hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated during his active duty service and is unrelated to any risk factors present at that time.

The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis and hepatitis C, finding no evidence of these conditions during service or a link to military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to the claimed conditions, and thus denied all service connection claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his military service, specifically the air gun inoculations he received in service.

The Board found no evidence of hepatitis C during service or within a year after service, and concluded that the Veteran's current diagnosis is not related to his military service.

The Board found that there is no evidence of hepatitis C during service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is more likely than not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed right, left knee disabilities and low back disability are not related to his military service. The claim for residuals of a left ankle fracture is denied as well. Service connection for hepatitis C cannot be established.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death and denied entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) based on a lack of evidence linking any service-connected condition to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is due to in-service blood transfusions. Service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no medical evidence linking it to his service-connected post-operative residuals of a cavernous hemangioma of the left chest.