Kidney disease decisions — 2016

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his renal cell carcinoma was at least as likely as not related to his exposure to Agent Orange during active duty.

The Veteran's kidney cancer was diagnosed by a private physician, not VA. The Board found that there was no failure to diagnose the condition and thus denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of TBI is pending and not decided.,Service connection was granted for chronic kidney disease (CKD) effective January 16, 2009. The Veteran's PTSD with MDD disability rating remains at 70 percent.,PTSD with MDD disability ratings have been denied since February 26, 2014.,The Veteran was granted an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for migraine headaches effective May 28, 2015.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with contacting the Veteran for an examination and additional development is required.

The Veteran's reimbursement requests for medical expenses are denied as the conditions for reimbursement under VA laws and regulations were not met.

The Veteran's death was caused by multiple conditions, but there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or any service-connected disability.,There is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and the Board finds that service connection for the cause of death is not warranted.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary and the case is being remanded to obtain updated medical records, conduct further examinations, and consider all evidence of record.

The Board found that the Veteran's kidney stones, which were diagnosed in March 2006, are presumed to have been incurred during his period of service due to their manifestation within one year of discharge.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's complete service treatment and personnel records, as well as any relevant post-service medical records. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran was granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected mild allergic rhinitis, with an effective date of March 21, 2012.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and readjudication under section 1725 of the statute, as partial coverage by a third party does not bar reimbursement for remaining uncovered medical expenses.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence showing a diagnosis of hypertension in 1982. The case will be readjudicated after an examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension, intestinal tumors, and adrenal gland adenoma did not have their onset during service or within one year of separation from service and are not otherwise related to a disease, injury, or exposure of service origin.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including obtaining VA treatment records, determining service connection based on exposure in inland waters, and providing medical opinions regarding the onset and etiology of each condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further development regarding his claims, including a possible finding of presumed exposure to herbicides and an examination.

The Veteran's renal disease is found to be a consequence of his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's death was caused by heart failure, but the Board is remanding the case to determine if any underlying causes of death are related to military service.

The Veteran's lung cancer and end-stage renal disease, status post kidney transplant, are being remanded for further examination to determine if they were caused by exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's combined rating for service-connected disabilities (diabetic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus with hypertension and erectile dysfunction, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, coronary artery disease) is now 100 percent. The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to be secondary to his service-connected prostatitis. Diabetes mellitus type II and kidney disorder are not related to service or a service-connected disability.