The Board has granted service connection for cirrhosis of the liver and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver is etiologically related to exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, including cirrhosis of the liver and bilateral hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver is etiologically related to exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran's physical limitations due to his service-connected disabilities, including cirrhosis of the liver and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from successfully following gainful work consistent with his previous work experience.
- Claimed conditions
- cirrhosis of the liver
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20067081
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,429 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20067081.
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 appeal for service connection for cirrhosis of the liver has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and its secondary effects on other conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes mellitus type II, esophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy, and splenomegaly.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that none of the conditions listed on his death certificate were related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for leukemia, thrombocytopenia, and bone marrow transplant with acquired agranulocytosis. The Veteran's Fanconi anemia is not considered a service-connected condition due to its congenital nature. Service connection was also denied for hepatocarcinoma and cirrhosis of the liver.
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