Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding that there was not enough evidence to establish a link between his military service and his current condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and residuals of a head injury, finding that there was no current disability or sufficient evidence to establish service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disability is manifested by limitation of motion and pain, but no clinical evidence of incapacitating episodes. The rating assigned for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and arthritis was determined to be appropriate at 30 percent.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to cirrhosis and hepatitis C, attributing these conditions to military service. The decision was based on the evidence not showing that a disability incurred in or aggravated by active duty caused or contributed to cause death.

The VA granted a 10 percent rating for hepatitis C effective from August 2003, resolving the veteran's claim for an increased rating.

The veteran does not have hepatitis currently and there is no medical diagnosis of a current, chronic disability related to hepatitis. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hepatitis was denied.

The Board denied service connection for cirrhosis of the liver and bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service or to in-service exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board finds that the veteran's hepatitis C is related to service, and grants service connection.

The VA determined that the veteran's hepatitis C is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claim can be adjudicated on its merits.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C and a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's hepatitis C was not related to his military service, and the evidence did not support an increased rating for his hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of a back disorder and granted it. The claim for hepatitis C was not addressed in this decision as it is being remanded.

The Board finds that the veteran's service experience is consistent with combat, and his statements about stressors are credible. Therefore, the acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD is granted as incurred in service.

The veteran's hepatitis C was rated at 10% from May 25, 1999 to the present. The VA determined that his condition did not meet criteria for a higher rating based on incapacitating episodes or other manifestations of fatigue and weakness.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis B and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected chronic hepatitis warrants a 10 percent disability rating, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on current symptoms and employment status.

The Board found that the cause of death was not service-connected and denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the eligibility for Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding whether the veteran's hepatitis C is related to service, given his positive hepatitis C antibody test and exposure to a potentially infected roommate.

The Board has determined that hepatitis C is the result of disease or injury incurred during active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C and obsessive-compulsive disorder, finding no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.