Kidney disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of recurrent renal calculi was granted. The denial of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the abdominal hernia is based on a finding that it was not caused by VA care, but rather due to the Veteran's obesity and use of narcotics.,The claim for reopening service connection for papillary carcinoma of the thyroid was granted, as new evidence had been submitted.

The Veteran's cause of death is found to be due to ischemic heart disease, which he would have been entitled to presumptive service connection for as a result of his exposure to herbicides during service. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the ischemic heart disease contributed substantially and materially to his death.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence linking his renal cell carcinoma to his military service or Agent Orange exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's renal cell carcinoma was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated therein. Service connection for PTSD is granted, but the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to July 10, 2014, and no higher rating thereafter. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus requires daily insulin, oral medication, and a restricted diet; regulation of activities has not been demonstrated. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic renal failure with hypertension provides a greater benefit than the requested nonservice-connected pension benefits and TDIU. Therefore, these claims are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's kidney cancer is related to his exposure to herbicide agents, such as Agent Orange, during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death was shock resulting from bleeding secondary to a femoral catheter insertion, with end-stage renal disease as the underlying cause. The evidence does not support service connection for hypertension, end-stage renal disease, or shock due to femoral catheter insertion.

The Veteran's claim for SMC payable at the housebound rate prior to May 3, 2008 was denied as he did not meet the criteria for this benefit due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a chronic liver disability, gastritis, or esophagitis related to his active service. The kidney condition was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tension headaches was denied in a May 1969 rating decision. The effective date of the grant of service connection for tension headaches is October 26, 2010.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, renal calculi or kidney stones, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral retinal degeneration due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

Your appeal for service connection for a kidney disorder has been dismissed as there is no pending appeal before the Board.

The Veteran's renal insufficiency and hypertension are not service-connected.,Hypertension is not service-connected as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected renal insufficiency.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, specifically a private medical opinion from Dr. Cam regarding his hepatitis C and kidney stones.

The Board has found that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is related to his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issues of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bowel resection residuals, and entitlement to service connection for a kidney condition are still pending as well as the issue of TDIU.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for further development regarding the etiology and nature of the Veteran's kidney disability, including whether it is related to his service at Camp LeJeune.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a disability incurred or aggravated during his military service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, cerebral vascular accident, and acute renal failure are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, as well as his claims for higher ratings for various peripheral neuropathies and PTSD have been reopened. The Board finds that the evidence supports the grant of TDIU due to the cumulative effects of multiple service-connected disabilities.