The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection and DEA benefits, as no claims or intents to file were submitted prior to December 25, 2021.
The deciding factor: No evidence of a claim or intent to file was received by VA prior to December 25, 2021, which is the date the Veteran's VA 21-526EZ for liver steatohepatitis was submitted and treated as an intent to file.
- Claimed conditions
- cirrhosis of the liver, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver transplant candidate
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2024
- Citation
- A24069543
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 appeals for service connection for various conditions were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis of the liver, finding that it was due to herbicide exposure during the Veteran's service in Vietnam.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for hepatitis C and cirrhosis of the liver, but denied earlier effective dates for service connection and a higher rating for tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 100 percent for lung cancer but granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance, effective December 7, 2022.
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