Kidney disease decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to determine if he set foot in Vietnam during his service on the U.S.S. Forster.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim that VA medical treatment in 1994 caused additional disability, including renal insufficiency and multi-organ shutdown.

The Veteran's kidney stone disorder was first shown during military service and is granted as service connected.

The Veteran's liver and kidney disabilities are found to be secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus with bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, warranting a 40% rating.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the veteran died during the pendency of the appeal, and thus has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claims for service connection for sinus disorder, migraine headaches, back disorder, kidney disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder (previously considered as PTSD). The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are supported by recent VA treatment records. However, the claim for service connection remains denied due to a lack of evidence establishing a nexus between her military service and these disorders.

The Veteran's cause of death, renal cell carcinoma and coronary artery disease, is not service-connected. The Board found no evidence linking the conditions to his military service or any incident therein.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his claims, including obtaining service personnel records and addressing the VCAA notice requirements.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA compensation examination.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, kidney failure, and glaucoma as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's PTSD disability rating was increased from 10 percent to 30 percent.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not meet the criteria for burial or plot allowance benefits. The claim for non-service connected burial benefits is denied, but a plot or interment allowance is granted.

The Veteran's current kidney condition was not present in service or within one year of discharge and is not related to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for nephrosclerosis (claimed as kidney failure) is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and requests for additional information from various sources.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. As such, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's kidney failure is not service-connected on a direct basis, and there is no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and in-service herbicide exposure. The claim for secondary service connection based on liver failure (status post transplant) is pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and therefore denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including notifying the Veteran of his right to submit alternate sources of evidence in support of his previously denied claim for service connection for a low back disorder and claims for service connection for a renal disorder (originally claimed as chronic nephritis) and vagotomy.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to renal failure and acute pancreatitis, as these conditions are not related to service. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was considered a significant condition contributing to his death but not resulting from service-connected causes.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and medical records to determine if the Veteran's current renal disease is related to his military service. The Veteran was exposed to jet fuels in service, which is presumed exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for renal dysfunction, gastritis as separate from service-connected GERD, depression with insomnia, and a skin disorder other than service-connected dermatitis are all denied. The evidence does not support the presence of these conditions.