Kidney disease decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, which is secondary to frostbite and rated as 20 percent disabling in each extremity, contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death. As such, the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his service-connected conditions and their impact on employment, as well as the need to obtain SSA disability records and other relevant treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's lung metastasis, colon cancer, and renal cancer are related to service, to include exposure to herbicide agents. The VA is also required to verify the Veteran's in-country service and exposure to herbicide agents during his period of active duty.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of hypertension, service connection for mild renal insufficiency and erectile dysfunction have been granted. The effective date is pending further action.

The Veteran's kidney disability is being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is related to his military service or was caused by medication used in service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to care for his daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person, warranting SMC based on aid and attendance prior to May 10, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no credible evidence of service in Vietnam and thus no basis for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(iii).

The Board found that the Veteran's urinary stricture and kidney disorder were not incurred in service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during his active duty. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not provide a clear explanation for when these disabilities began.

The Veteran's kidney disorder is found to be an additional disability caused by the VA treatment in April-July 1992, and compensation benefits are granted under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to Agent Orange at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Additionally, a VA examination is needed to determine if his prostatitis is related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have confirmed exposure to herbicide agents or hazardous jet fuel during service, and thus denied his claims for service connection based on direct evidence of a link between his current disabilities and active duty.

The Board denied service connection for renal cell carcinoma and found that the Veteran's post-operative ureterolithiasis with hydronephrosis and renal stones did not cause or aggravate his renal cell carcinoma. The reduction from 20 percent to noncompensable rating for post-operative ureterolithiasis was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions began during or were caused by his military service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for renal cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the colon due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his presumed Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to verify the Veteran's exposures and obtain an advisory medical opinion regarding the relationship between his metastatic kidney cancer and service, including Agent Orange exposure. The AOJ should also consider whether a primary lung cancer was present at death.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, and renal cell carcinoma due to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam. The evidence did not support a finding that these cancers were related to such exposure.

The Board found that the reduction of the rating for pulmonary sarcoidosis from 100 percent to 30 percent was not proper and restored the 100 percent rating. The kidney failure status post transplant claim is pending.

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

The Veteran's kidney cancer is found to be due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and service connection for this condition is granted. The respiratory disability claim remains pending as the evidence does not support a finding of service connection based on the current medical records.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for acid reflux, kidney condition, and prostate disorder. The current diagnoses were not shown in service or within one year post-service separation.