Kidney disease decisions — 2013

The Veteran's additional disability is not deemed to be caused by VA treatment, and the Board finds that there was no fault on VA's part in causing his condition.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical care at a non-VA facility from May 13, 2010 to May 15, 2010 is being remanded due to the need for an additional VA medical opinion regarding when his condition stabilized enough for transfer to the Omaha VAMC.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition, including hypertension (HTN), kidney condition, liver disease, depressive disorder, and erectile dysfunction are denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during active duty or within one year thereafter, and they have not been linked to his service-connected disability.

The Veteran does not have kidney stones that are the result of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated during active military service.

The Veteran's recurrent kidney stones are found to be related to his active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the appeal is remanded to allow for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient treatment records and a VA Social and Industrial Survey. The Veteran's claim of discontinuance of TDIU due to service-connected disabilities will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board denied the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to herbicide exposure or other events in service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating for his diabetic retinopathy and cataracts, and there was no evidence of visual field impairment or loss of visual acuity of 20/40 or worse in one eye and 20/50 or worse in the other. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating for his ED, as he had normal corrected vision in both eyes. Service connection was denied for kidney cancer with subsequent removal of the right kidney due to lack of evidence linking it to service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and secondary service connection due to issues not being fully addressed in previous decisions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further action, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for the Veteran's kidney cancer, either on a direct or secondary basis. The claim is therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the Veteran's left shoulder tendonitis rating from 10% to noncompensable was not proper, and restored the original 10% rating. The claim for service connection for acute kidney failure is denied as there is no current disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, nor does he have a liver or kidney disorder related to his active duty service. Service connection is therefore denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence linking current stomach, pancreatic, and kidney disorders to service. The Veteran's statements of in-service motor vehicle accident and subsequent symptoms are considered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and a chronic right shoulder disability, was granted. The Veteran also received increased evaluations for his PTSD.

The Board found that the cause of death was not service-connected, as none of the listed conditions were shown to be related to military service or pre-service conditions.