Kidney disease decisions — 2008

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

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for a skin disorder of the feet or kidney stones. The veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for PTSD and a scar of the right hip, as well as TDIU, are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and service connection for renal carcinoma and metastatic carcinoma to the lungs, finding that there was no evidence of a direct or secondary relationship between these conditions and his military service. The lapse of time since separation from service also weighed against granting service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right side pain, kidney condition, diabetes mellitus, skin rashes, and vision problems. The denial was based on a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in service or due to exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for the claimed conditions, as they are not related to service or exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board found that the cause of death, hepatic encephalopathy, was not related to service-connected conditions and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death (cardiopulmonary arrest) was not caused by any service-connected disability. The appellant could not provide evidence linking her husband's terminal conditions to his military service, and there is no medical evidence connecting these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's recurrent renal calculi, which is manifested by recurrent stone formation requiring invasive or non-invasive procedures more than twice a year and occasional pain medication, does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral Achilles tendonitis, residuals of a right fourth finger injury, and kidney stone (nephrolithiasis). Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection is established for the following conditions: bilateral Achilles tendonitis, residuals of a right fourth finger injury, and nephrolithiasis. The veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of evidence linking any diagnosed conditions to his period of service. The claim for nonservice-connected death pension benefits was also denied as there is no legal entitlement under the law.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected conditions, including PTSD. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's PTSD did not contribute to his death and that any medication for PTSD would have likely improved his ability to cope with other health issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a disability manifested by high cholesterol and therefore, her claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and Type II diabetes mellitus, as well as his service connection claims for Ménire's disease, hypertension, cardiovascular-renal disease, kidney stones, thyroid tumor, arthritis, ulcer (gastric-peptic), and hepatitis C. The Board found that the veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a scar of the right thigh.

The Board finds that the veteran's kidney cancer was not manifested during service or due to exposure to ionizing radiation, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's kidney disease, which contributed to his death, is likely due to a condition that began during his service. Therefore, the cause of the veteran's death is considered service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding no current evidence of these disabilities and noting that they were not related to service.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current back, kidney, and heart disabilities to his military service. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.

The veteran's TDIU rating was granted effective June 1, 2004 based on the increase in severity of his service-connected conditions and to resolve reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder and knee disabilities, PTSD, kidney stones, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease. The Board found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, did not have a relationship to any service-connected condition, and no new evidence was presented to reopen previously denied claims.