The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that chronic hepatitis incurred during active service led to primary biliary cirrhosis and ultimately caused hemorrhage from esophageal varices.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported a direct link between the Veteran's chronic hepatitis, incurred during his active service, and his subsequent development of primary biliary cirrhosis, which was the cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25050089
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 831 · Granted: 48% (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 A25050089.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for an infection, status post total right knee replacement is denied because he did not have a current disability characterized as an infection of the right knee during the claim period.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected cirrhosis of the liver with chronic hepatitis was rated at 50 percent from May 8, 2018. The Board denied a higher rating as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 7345 or 7312.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was due to metastatic adenocarcinoma unknown origin, chronic kidney disease, chronic hepatitis, and hypertension. The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for cause of death and entitlement to death pension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for chronic hepatitis is being remanded due to the need for updated medical records and a new examination.
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