The Veteran's CHF with cardiomyopathy and cardiomegaly, as well as his cirrhosis of the liver, are service-connected.,However, he does not have additional disabilities manifested by fatigue, shortness of breath, indigestion, or right knee/ankle pain that warrant separate service connection.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's CHF with cardiomyopathy and cardiomegaly and cirrhosis of the liver are considered chronic diseases due to their onset within a year of his release from active service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.,Fatigue, shortness of breath, indigestion, and right knee/ankle pain are not separate disabilities but rather symptoms or manifestations of the Veteran's already established service-connected CHF with cardiomyopathy and cardiomegaly and cirrhosis of the liver.
- Claimed conditions
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) with cardiomyopathy and cardiomegaly, Cirrhosis of the liver
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 23, 2015
- Citation
- 1517554
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1517554.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for Hepatitis C and Cirrhosis of the liver were dismissed due to procedural deficiencies. The claims of entitlement to service connection for arrhythmia, chronic kidney disease, and bilateral lower extremity non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder, and also awarded service connection for cirrhosis of the liver on an aggravation basis due to the Veteran's bipolar disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a need for additional evidence, specifically the Veteran's complete service treatment records and service personnel records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a liver disorder, to include liver cancer as secondary to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and other than cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis C.
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