Kidney disease decisions — 2019

The Veteran's kidney cancer is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam service, with the Board finding that the evidence is in equipoise and resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is not service-connected.,Hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis are service-connected, with the latter being secondary to hepatitis C.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of any service connection claims.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disability, kidney disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, and prostate disability due to new and material evidence. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has denied service connection for kidney disability and OSA as secondary to diabetes mellitus. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's diabetes and his current conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered her so helpless as to require the need for aid and attendance of another person, leading to a grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional information and evidence. The appellant must be notified about her rights to pursue these service connection claims as either a substitute or an accrued benefit claimant.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for right foot injury due to new and material evidence. The claims for service connection for other conditions are being remanded as they involve issues related to the reopening of the right foot injury claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and a claim of CUE in the effective date of his total disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, or any medication he took for those disabilities, caused his death.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of kidney cancer and did not grant restoration of a 30 percent rating for degenerative joint disease of the left elbow.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for acute leukemia, bilateral upper neuropathy disability, bilateral lower neuropathy disability, and kidney failure disabilities due to lack of evidence showing exposure to herbicide agents during active service.

The Veteran's death was due to service-connected conditions, but the Appellant did not have a pending claim for accrued benefits at the time of his death.

The Veteran's renal failure/kidney problem appeal is dismissed. Bilateral hearing loss has been granted service connection. The appeals for ischemic heart disease, acoustic neuroma, and right ear nerve damage are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back disability, bilateral knee and ankle disabilities, gastrointestinal disability, and kidney disability due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The current rating of 60 percent for chronic kidney disease, stage 3, is maintained. A separate 10 percent rating was granted for the left knee meniscectomy on and after April 14, 2017.

The Veteran's cause of death is not service-connected, and the issue of burial benefits is inextricably intertwined with this determination. The Board has remanded for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension, neurological disorder (manifested by dizziness), disability manifested by pain in the joints, kidney disability, and sleep disorder are all granted service connection. The neurological disorder is not related to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claim for service connection was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, but denied for all other conditions.