Kidney disease decisions — 2001

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that the veteran's current condition is etiologically related to his military service. The other issues of entitlement to service connection for a kidney disorder and right hand disability, as well as TDIU, are still pending.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by any event in service, his service-connected schizophrenia, or medication taken for his service-connected schizophrenia.

The veteran's request for Service Disabled Veterans Insurance (RH) is inextricably intertwined with his claims for service connection for various disabilities. The appeal of eligibility for RH is held in abeyance pending resolution of the service connection claims.

The veteran's claim for a permanent and total disability rating for nonservice-connected pension purposes, including extraschedular entitlement under 38 C.F.R. § 3.321(b)(2), is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney disorder, to include medullary sponge kidney and a bladder condition. The RO previously denied these claims as not well grounded.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's previously denied claim of service connection for a kidney disorder.

The Board denied reopening of the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disability, neck injury, kidney/bladder disability, vision problems (undiagnosed), depression (undiagnosed), TMJ (undiagnosed), fibromyalgia (undiagnosed), and gastrointestinal disability (undiagnosed).

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for kidney stones and an increased rating for panic disorder with anxiety, finding that they were not well grounded. The RO is instructed to obtain additional medical records and schedule the veteran for examinations to determine the nature of his conditions.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that his seizures were not related to his military service and did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Board found that the veteran's kidney disorder and chronic renal insufficiency, as well as his bilateral cataracts, were not incurred in service due to exposure to radiation. The evidence against the claims was considered more compelling than the support.

The Board has remanded the case due to changes in VA laws and regulations, specifically the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA), which requires the VA to assist the appellant in obtaining relevant records that may support her claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The veteran's death was due to sepsis and pneumonia, with significant contributing conditions being dilated cardiomyopathy, renal insufficiency, and severe peripheral vascular disease. The appeal is about determining whether the cause of death was service-connected.

The veteran's appeal of the issue regarding an evaluation higher than 10 percent for kidney stones from March 22, 1995 to July 23, 1998 was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD caused his alcohol abuse, which led to his fatal alcoholic cardiomyopathy and liver failure.

The veteran's claims for service connection for colon cancer, renal cancer, and COPD as secondary to exposure to herbicides or asbestos were denied. The Board found that the conditions did not have their onset in service or are otherwise related to service.

The veteran's increased ratings for residuals of renal calculi and residuals of injury to muscle group XIX, residuals of an appendectomy and ventral hernia were denied.

The Board is considering whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for a left nephrectomy due to radiation exposure in service, as well as for a growth on his right kidney. The issues are considered 'mixed' because some aspects of the claim may be granted while others are denied.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Homestead Hospital on May 5, 1999 is granted due to the evidence being in equipoise as to whether VA facilities were feasibly available and an attempt to use them beforehand would have been reasonable, sound, wise, or practical.

The VA is instructed to obtain additional medical records and information regarding the veteran's exposure to chemicals during his service. If confirmed, a toxicology expert will be consulted to determine if there is any association between the veteran's renal carcinoma and chemical exposure. The case will then be returned for further consideration.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine the cause of the veteran's death and whether his treatment for service-connected disabilities contributed to his suicide.