Kidney disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate development of her kidney disability claim, including the need for a more detailed opinion on the etiology and relationship between her back pain and current diagnoses.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing a supplemental opinion from an examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for metastatic RCC and assigned a zero percent disability rating for prostate adenocarcinoma. The Veteran's death was attributed to metastatic RCC, not prostate cancer.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of January 21, 2011 for the grant of service connection for chronic kidney disease is granted. The case is remanded for further development related to increased ratings and SMC.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including updated VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities and obtain treatment records.

The Veteran's liver cancer, which was presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, is service connected. The cause of death due to liver cancer is also service connected. Service connection for other conditions such as kidney disability, erectile dysfunction (ED), peripheral neuropathy, heart disability, lung disability, psychiatric disability, low back disorder, right hip disorder, and left hip disorder are not established.

The Veteran died of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, with acute renal failure and hypertension as the underlying cause. The Board found no service connection for ischemic heart disease or any other conditions that could have caused the death.

The Veteran's kidney cancer, right transfemoral amputation, and blindness were not incurred during active service.,The cause of the Veteran's death was listed as cardiac arrest, arrhythmia, and end stage renal failure.

The Board denied the claim for accrued benefits as there is not an available monetary benefit for accrued benefits purposes due to the timing of filing the original claims.

The Board finds that the cause of death, metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the lungs, is not service-connected as it did not result from in-service asbestos exposure or herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, Type 2 is presumed to have been incurred in active military service due to exposure to herbicides. The claims for prostate disability, hypertension and residuals of renal carcinoma are being remanded as additional development is needed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney disorder, lung disorder, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and colon cancer have been denied as they are not found to be related to his service-connected prostate cancer.

The Board finds that the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma is at least as likely as not related to his in-service herbicide exposure, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and requesting that the Veteran provide competent evidence of current disability. A VA examination will be scheduled to determine the nature and etiology of any disability found, and their relationship, if any, to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney disorder, increased ratings for dysthymic disorder and lumbar spondylosis, and an increased rating for traumatic tension headaches were denied. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for the claimed kidney disorder due to lack of diagnosed pathology.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims, including obtaining an opinion regarding his bilateral hearing loss and issuing a Supplemental Statement of the Case for the remaining issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes and chronic kidney disease were denied. However, the Board granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to combined service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's renal cancer is presumed to be related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during his military service, and the Board grants service connection for kidney cancer.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), hypertension, and erectile dysfunction were not found to be related to his service or presumed exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection was denied for these conditions as they are not considered presumptively linked to Agent Orange exposure.