Liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis) — all decisions

The Veteran's hepatitis C disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C has been reopened and is granted. The initial increased rating claim for PTSD remains remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, headaches, hepatitis C, and fatigue/malaise due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The claims for disabilities of the back, right shoulder, hips, knees, and ankles are inextricably intertwined with the claim for hepatitis C.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The mood disorder is rated at 50% since November 29, 2010. Hepatitis C and gallstones/cirrhosis of the liver are each rated at 100% effective July 1, 2016. Diabetes mellitus remains at 20%. Erectile dysfunction continues to be noncompensable. The Veteran's claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board denied service connection for Hepatitis C, finding that the earliest indication of a diagnosis occurred more than 25 years after the Veteran left active service and considering conflicting medical opinions. The Board found the January 2016 and August 2016 VA examiners' opinions to be more probative.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin, gastrointestinal, and dental disabilities. The claim for hepatitis B was also denied.,Service connection was not granted for a duodenal ulcer or pterygium as there is no evidence of an in-service event or injury.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed hepatitis C.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and hypertension claims are denied. The hypertension claim is remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cirrhosis. The type 2 diabetes mellitus claim is being remanded due to potential exposure to Agent Orange, while the cirrhosis claim is being remanded as it may be secondary to the established service-connected type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

Service connection is granted for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and Hepatitis C.,Service connection is denied for elevated liver enzymes as there is no current diagnosis of this condition.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board is remanding the case for further action, including consideration of an extra-schedular disability rating and TDIU.

The Veteran's right and left knee arthritis were not incurred during service, as no etiological relationship was found between the conditions and his active duty.,The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was first diagnosed in service and has been a chronic condition since then. Service connection is granted for this condition.

The appeal for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is dismissed.,The appeals for service connection for ischemic heart disease and hepatitis C are remanded.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for Hepatitis C and granted it, finding that new and material evidence supports the Veteran's contention that he contracted the disease during his military service.

The Veteran's left inguinal hernia is now rated at 10 percent effective May 19, 2009. The hepatitis C infection claim was denied as it was caused by willful misconduct.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to concerns about causation and aggravation of his conditions by VA treatment, particularly regarding ascites caused or aggravated by Hepatitis C with PegInterferon.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's service connection claim for a liver disability, including hepatitis A, due to incomplete VA treatment records and insufficient evidence of a nexus between his current liver condition and his in-service diagnosis of Hepatitis A. The case is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the submission of new and material evidence. The cases will be further evaluated by VA examiners.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for osteopenia of lumbar spine with left femoral neck, chronic liver disease, and hepatitis C have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.