Kidney disease decisions — 2014

The Veteran's initial disability rating for diabetes mellitus type II with renal insufficiency remains at 20 percent, and the claim for an effective date prior to May 14, 2009 is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral renal cell carcinoma of the kidneys was related to his military service on a direct basis and if it is due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney disorder, including left pyelonephritis and residuals of ureteral stricture and kidney calculi. The evidence did not show that any current condition was incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has decided that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and kidney failure, including obtaining records from Baptist Hospital where he was hospitalized in 1984 and 1988.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

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

The Veteran is seeking service connection for urothelial carcinoma of the left renal pelvis, which he claims is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during active duty in Vietnam. The case has been remanded due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's cause of death (acute coronary syndrome, coronary artery disease, and acute renal failure) was not caused or aggravated by any service-connected disability. The Board found that the Veteran's myelodysplastic syndrome did not have a direct relationship to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete information and the need for further development, including a dose estimate from VA Under Secretary for Health and a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current prostate cancer and right kidney cancer and his active service, including exposure to formaldehyde and benzene.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for liver failure and kidney failure was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and service, including herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of end-stage renal disease was denied as the new and material evidence submitted by the Veteran did not meet the one-year deadline from the May 2008 rating decision.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to sepsis, anemia, pneumonia, renal failure, and COPD. The appellant seeks service connection for these conditions as well as the aggravation of her service-connected discoid lupus erythematosus. The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional opinions regarding these issues.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions were denied as they are not related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death was not caused or contributed to by service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rate of SMC was granted, and the effective date for this grant was set at May 13, 2014. The Veteran also received an earlier effective date for his entitlement to SMC.

The Board has granted service connection for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) due to herbicide exposure. The secondary service connection issues will be remanded for further development.

The Board has decided that more evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's kidney stones and low back disability are related to his military service. The case will be sent back for further investigation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected seizure disorder did not hasten his metastatic cancer, and therefore does not meet the criteria for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction, left ankle arthritis, and TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities has been granted. The erectile dysfunction is found to be secondary to his diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer. His kidney dysfunction and prostate cancer residuals are rated at their maximum levels of 60% and 40%, respectively.