Kidney disease decisions — 2009

The Board finds that the appellant does not have service connection for any of his claimed conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease with carotid stenosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD), and renal insufficiency, as they are not shown to be related to service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's kidney disorder is not related to his service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The case is being remanded for the Veteran to be provided an opportunity to appoint a representative and for the claims folder to be forwarded to that representative.

The Board remands the claim for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The appeal is remanded to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's Paget's disease and presumed in-service herbicide exposure, as well as any contribution of his service-connected disabilities to his death.

The Board denied service connection for a kidney condition, claimed as kidney failure, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for renal cell carcinoma and diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of radiation exposure during his active military service and no medical evidence linking these conditions to his service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and depression, but denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, right knee chondromalacia, residual pain due to left knee cellulitis, back injury residuals, morbid obesity, kidney infections, and asthma. The Board also granted initial 10 percent disability ratings for a left knee disability and asthma.

The Board remands the issues of service connection for residuals of a head and facial injury and a kidney disorder to the RO for further development.

The Board decision of May 9, 2007, was not the product of clear and unmistakable error.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for renal cell carcinoma, finding that the preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that his condition had its onset in service or was related to any incident during active duty.

The Board finds that the Veteran's August 1984 letter is a valid Notice of Disagreement to the July 1984 rating decision denying his initial claim for service connection. The case must be remanded for de novo adjudication.

The September 2005 rating decision discontinuing the 100 percent rating for end stage renal disease was proper.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA in furnishing medical treatment.

The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the veteran.

The Veteran's lumbar spine post-laminectomy residuals and kidney stones with ureterolithiasis did not meet the criteria for higher initial ratings.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for a respiratory disorder and kidney disorder, and the appeal for a skin disorder was denied due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.

The appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence and scheduling VA examinations.

The claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened based on new and material evidence, but the claims for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and renal cell carcinoma were denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin growths and a right adrenal gland adenoma, finding no evidence of in-service incurrence or a nexus to service.