Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Veteran requested to withdraw their appeal, and the Board has dismissed it.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a current diagnosis of hepatitis B or C, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions. The claim for a separate disability evaluation for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine is denied as there is no evidence to support an additional rating beyond what is already assigned for his service-connected lumbar strain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C is related to his active duty service, warranting service connection.

The Board has determined that hepatitis C was incurred in active service and granted the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board found that there is no competent evidence of a nexus between the post-service diagnosis of hepatitis C and an incident in service, thus denying the claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's requests to reopen claims for service connection for a heart condition, hepatitis, and bronchial condition.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hepatitis C was not incurred as a result of military service and denied his claim.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, finding that it was aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected arthritis of both hips. The other issues remain pending.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and the appellant did not meet the requirement of having been married for at least eight years prior to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his hepatitis C claim and concluding that the available documentation did not suggest a blood transfusion in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received after the issuance of the September 2007 SOC and because the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder is secondary to his hepatitis C.

The Veteran's HCV was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service. The Board found that the most likely cause of his HCV is intravenous drug use, which occurred after he left active duty.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hepatitis C is granted as the disease was incurred in active duty due to exposure and injuries during service.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that his hepatitis C was incurred during service, and denied service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be incurred within one year of separation from his first period of active service, and thus is presumed to have been incurred in service. The Veteran's hepatitis C is presumed to have been incurred during service due to the lack of any scientific evidence to document transmission through airgun injectors.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death due to new evidence showing a link between his active service and his fatal liver disease. The claim is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability secondary to his service-connected left knee disability has been reopened. The Veteran is also granted an increased rating of 30 percent for hepatitis C, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hepatitis and liver disability were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has granted reimbursement for the prescription drug haloperidol and denied coverage of the prescription drugs Merislon, Sibelium, Serc, and Methycobal for the Veteran's service-connected Meniere's disease under Foreign Medical Benefits. The breast muscle toner request was also denied.