Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) — all decisions

The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error that occurred prior to the respective rating decisions on appeal.

The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disability, identified as generalized anxiety disorder and depression. The claims for lead poisoning, substance abuse disorder, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C, and hypertension were remanded.

The appeal regarding the claims of service connection for bilateral flatfoot and Hepatitis C was dismissed due to a prohibited concurrent election.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and rating appeals to cure pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the claim for hepatitis C due to insufficient evidence of herbicide exposure.

The Board granted service connection for a neck scar, dismissed the claim of entitlement to service connection for drug and alcohol abuse, and denied service connection for depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dizziness disorder, fatigue disorder, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, degenerative arthritis, left ankle arthritis, and left foot disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD alone prevents him from maintaining and securing substantially gainful employment, thus granting a TDIU for the purpose of establishing entitlement to special monthly compensation on a schedular housebound basis.

Service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted based on in-service exposure to vinyl chloride in Camp Lejeune drinking water contributing to his cirrhosis.

The Veteran has withdrawn the appeal for all issues, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review the appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or an earlier effective date.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hepatitis C and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to service connection for chronic liver disease and chronic fatigue due to a request made by the Veteran's representative regarding the curriculum vitae of a December 2023 VA examiner.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or contaminated water, and the conditions were not shown to be related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted a rating of 40 percent for Gilbert's disease with history of hepatitis, effective August 31, 2015, but denied an increased rating prior to that date.

The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for right and left lower extremity neuropathy (external popliteal nerve) and a total rating based on individual unemployability. The other claims were denied.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, HBV (hepatitis B), anemia, and Kaposi sarcoma as the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or a link to active service.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and TDIU, finding that April 16, 2021 was the earliest possible date based on the receipt of a complete supplemental claim.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hepatitis C and related conditions as they are inextricably intertwined.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for cholesterol and granted cirrhosis of the liver in full, dismissing the appeal. The claims for earlier effective dates for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were denied, as was a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss. Several claims for service connection were remanded.

The appeal concerning service connection for diabetes was dismissed, while the claims for hepatitis C and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were remanded due to a need for additional medical evidence.