Kidney disease decisions — 2008

The Board granted service connection for the claimed conditions and special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance due to diabetes mellitus. Accrued benefits were not payable.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, a cystic kidney disorder, and a gastrointestinal disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's currently diagnosed kidney disorder is not related to his active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's hypertension and benign renal cyst were initially granted with non-compensable ratings. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence for an acquired psychiatric disorder, and found that his residuals from a gunshot wound to the head were not incurred during active service or as a result of a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the claim must be denied as there is no evidence of kidney stones present during or related to service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and scheduling of a hearing at the RO.

The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD with Panic Attacks and Anxiety, as well as kidney stones. The veteran does not have a currently diagnosed kidney disability, and there is no competent medical evidence showing a current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board found no evidence of a current chronic disability of the left kidney and concluded that any present issues are not related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death is not service-connected, and therefore DIC benefits are denied.

The veteran's fatal conditions were not caused by any incident or illness that occurred during his service.

The veteran's appeal for higher ratings on his back injury residuals and associated radiculopathy was denied. The initial rating of 20 percent for the back injury with a claimed kidney condition is maintained, as well as separate 10 percent ratings for radiculopathy affecting both lower extremities.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the veteran's experiences in Vietnam provided sufficient evidence of a stressor to support his claim. The other issues involving heart disease and reopening previously denied claims have been remanded.

The Board found no current kidney disease or residuals of a past kidney disability, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's kidney failure and hypertension are both service-connected, with kidney failure being directly related to service and hypertension being secondary to the kidney disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for scrotal injury, kidney disability, urethral trauma, and sexual dysfunction. The evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate any of these claims.

The veteran's death was not caused by VA hospitalization or medical treatment, and the Board found that compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for his death is denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension and low back disability, as well as his claim for TDIU based on these conditions, were denied by the Board. The effective date is not specified.

The veteran's death was caused by coronary artery disease, which is service-connected. The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death and therefore does not need to address the DIC claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and issuance of a Statement of the Case regarding service connection for a kidney disorder.