Kidney disease decisions — 2000

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder and did not address his request to reopen his claim for residuals of a head injury. The RO is instructed to obtain any relevant medical records, schedule the veteran for an examination, and then review the case again.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a ruptured kidney, as new and material evidence has been submitted. The case is now remanded for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a donated left kidney, low back pain (claimed as arthritis), bilateral foot pain, right ankle pain, and high cholesterol. The evidence did not show that the veteran had any current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's recurrent renal calculi (kidney stones), finding that the current 30 percent schedular evaluation adequately reflected the disability picture associated with the veteran's kidney stones. The Board also found no basis for further action on the issue of assigning an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, and the claim is well grounded. The appellant's husband died from hepatitis-related complications in 1990, but there is no clear evidence linking his death to military service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found no evidence of a connection between the veteran's current disabilities and his military service, including any injury sustained in 1945.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for residuals of rib fractures, right kidney disorder, and low back disorder. The original denials were based on lack of evidence at the time.

The Board denied the veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for residuals of cyst removal from the penis, diabetes, a heart disorder, and a kidney disorder. The evidence submitted since the final decisions was found to be cumulative and not new or material.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for secondary service connection for a kidney disorder, concluding that it is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected psychiatric disability.

The medical evidence does not show that the veteran's cryoglobulinemia with renal insufficiency was present during or until many years following active duty, and it is not presumed to have been incurred in service. The condition did not result from any inservice disease or injury.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, finding that there was no causal relationship between the VA treatment and his renal failure or death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his claims. The PTSD claim was granted with a 10% rating.

The Board found no evidence of strep throat in service and concluded that the veteran's kidney transplant was not caused by a service-connected condition. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death due to Parkinson's disease, which was not caused by any service-connected condition. The appeal is also pending regarding an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD, dysentery, and malaria for accrued benefits purposes, as well as DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The veteran's claim for service connection for kidney damage is denied. The case is remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine the appropriate rating for PTSD.

The Board has held that the claim for service connection for hypertension and heart disease is reopened. The case is remanded to the RO for further development, including an examination to determine the relationship between PTSD and the veteran's hypertension with congestive heart failure, renal insufficiency, and syncopal episode.

The Board has determined that the veteran's multiple disorders, including irregular heartbeat, kidney stones, impotence, gallstones, stress, hemorrhaging in the sinuses and throat, pain in the upper chest and shoulders, elevated fever, infections of the body, and insomnia are presumed to be due to exposure to mustard gas during service. The Board has granted this claim.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a kidney disorder as secondary to his service-connected hypertension with atherosclerotic vascular disease.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a disability incurred in or aggravated by his active military service, including exposure to mustard gas, asbestos or chemical agents.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any terminal disorders to his military service or exposure to Agent Orange in service.