Kidney disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeals for renal insufficiency, aortic aneurism, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy have been dismissed. Service connection has been granted for diabetes mellitus type II associated with herbicide exposure, as well as peripheral artery disease and scars secondary to DMII.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain verification of herbicide agent exposure and for an addendum medical opinion regarding the relationship between his service, including potential herbicide exposure, and his claimed conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a respiratory disorder and an acquired psychiatric disability, as well as his requests for increased ratings for chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death is not related to his active service and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of chronic neurobehavioral effects, renal toxicity, or scleroderma and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred from January 15 to January 19, 2010 at Glen Falls Hospital were reimbursed due to the nature of his symptoms and the unavailability of VA facilities.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is necessary to determine whether the Veteran's renal cancer and esophageal cancer are directly related to his exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including his major depressive disorder, did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. The VA medical opinion provided a clear and definitive conclusion against the appellant's claim.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, both presumed to be due to Agent Orange exposure. The heart disability, kidney disability, bladder disability, and anemia are also presumed to be related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions.

The Veteran did not have any claims pending at the time of his death, including for service connection for a heart disorder or kidney condition. Therefore, accrued benefits are denied.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for liver and kidney disabilities were denied, while his claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted with a 20% disability rating effective November 6, 2017.

The Veteran's kidney disease is being remanded for further examination and development. His hypertension claim remains pending as it has not been addressed in a statement of the case.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development regarding the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Okinawa, Japan. The claim will be reconsidered after further verification is obtained.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain verification of herbicide agent exposure and additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service, including potential herbicide exposure, and his claimed conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and renal insufficiency are not service connected due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Board finds that there is no evidence of ischemic heart disease and denies the claim. The kidney disorder was not shown to be related to service, including as secondary to diabetes mellitus. Bilateral hearing loss was also not shown to be related to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, which was previously denied in April 1994. The newly submitted evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred on July 28, 2014, was denied due to her having third-party insurance coverage. The Board has determined that the denial is not valid and remanded the case for readjudication in light of the invalid regulation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's renal disease, including stage 3 chronic renal insufficiency, is due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during his active service.

The Board denied the Appellant's claims for service connection for a ruptured ear drum, tinnitus, and disabilities of the neck and low back. The Board found that the Appellant did not meet the criteria for Veteran status for these claims.