Kidney disease decisions — 2020

The Board has dismissed all issues on appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeals.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at noncompensable (0%) due to the severity of his hearing impairment not warranting a higher rating.,Service connection for prostate disability, left knee disability, kidney disability, and skin cancer of the left ear are denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure to herbicides.,The Veteran's left knee disability remains unconnected to his military service. The Board finds that his current symptoms do not correlate with his service record and are less likely related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for chronic renal insufficiency is denied as the evidence does not show that his disability has increased in severity to a degree warranting a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, finding no evidence of current disability related to service or service-connected conditions.,Service connection was also denied for atrophy, left kidney with cyst, as it is considered a congenital defect that pre-existed service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee, back, and TBI disabilities on a secondary basis. Service connection is also granted for his right hip, left hip, and sinus disabilities, but not for his right eye or kidney disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for left foot arthritis, left foot disorder, headaches, and kidney disorder due to insufficient medical opinions in the record. The Veteran is to be afforded VA examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, end stage renal disease with hemodialysis graft, peripheral artery disease, bilateral leg amputations, coronary artery disease (CAD) with myocardial infarction and cardiomyopathy, aortic stenosis, and residuals of pulmonary embolism.,VA burial allowance based on a service-connected death was also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, congenital kidney disability, bilateral wrist disability, back disability, leg pain in left lower extremity, and leg pain in right lower extremity. The cases are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.,Service connection is not granted as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service for the Veteran's left knee disability, congenital kidney disability, bilateral wrist disability, back disability, leg pain in left lower extremity, and leg pain in right lower extremity.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of polycystic kidney disease and granted it, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by his active military service.

The Board has denied service connection for liver (hepatocellular) cancer and kidney cancer as due to either asbestos or Agent Orange exposure.,Service connection was also remanded for the Veteran's claim of residuals of a head injury with headaches.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic kidney disease and hypertension, finding that the conditions first arose during active duty and have persisted since then.

The Board has granted service connection for a kidney condition secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea, lung condition (claimed as ischemic heart disease), and hypertension due to herbicide exposure are remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney condition, food poisoning, and breathing problems due to asbestos exposure as there is no medical evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that there has not been substantial compliance with the April 2018 remand order, and thus the claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional information regarding the Veteran's locations of service in Guam and any exposure to toxic chemicals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for renal cell carcinoma and secondary service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for renal cell carcinoma was denied. The Veteran also did not meet the criteria for TDIU prior to October 18, 2014, and an earlier effective date for DEA benefits is denied.,For the period prior to October 18, 2014, the Veteran's claim for a TDIU was denied. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities alone or their combined effects on his occupational experience.,The effective date for Basic Eligibility of Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits is denied as the Veteran was not in receipt of service connection for a permanent and total disability prior to October 18, 2014.

The Board has denied the reopening of multiple previously denied claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's claims were not reopened as there was no evidence linking his current disabilities to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, right Achilles tendonitis, and chronic kidney disease. The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder was not incurred in or related to service due to post-service injuries. His right Achilles tendonitis is not related to service as there were no complaints or treatment records during service. His chronic kidney disease is unrelated to service as it is linked to hypertension, a nonservice-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including high cholesterol and its related conditions, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aortic sclerosis, left lower extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, pulmonary granulomatous, bilateral pleural fibrosis, chronic right shoulder pain, upper extremity neuropathies, easy bruising, GERD, skin cancer, adrenal adenomas, colon polyps, enlarged prostate, and perforated tympanic membrane are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.