The Veteran's claim for service connection for a liver disability is denied. The claims for an evaluation in excess of 70 percent for PTSD since December 5, 2013 and for effective dates earlier than December 5, 2013 are remanded.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support finding that the Veteran's liver disability was incurred during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The condition is considered hereditary and did not manifest until later in life.
- Claimed conditions
- liver disability, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hereditary hemochromatosis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18156026
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 18156026.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for hereditary hemochromatosis based on new and relevant evidence, leading to the dismissal of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a liver disability has been dismissed due to the withdrawal by his attorney prior to the Board making a decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current disability for the conditions he is seeking service connection for, and thus denied these claims. The appeal was also remanded for additional examinations related to other disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's liver disability is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD and has been granted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.