Kidney disease decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's claimed conditions and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, loss of right kidney (due to renal cell carcinoma), bilateral upper and lower peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction as due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claim was reopened based on new evidence.,Service connection for these conditions could not be established because the Veteran did not have presumptive exposure to herbicides in Korea.

The Board has granted service connection for left kidney cancer due to exposure to herbicide agents. The prostate disorder and sterility claims are remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for kidney disease, finding that it was not present in service or for more than 17 years thereafter and is secondary to non-service-connected hypothyroidism and rhabdomyolysis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for recurrent kidney stones, finding no relationship between his current condition and his active duty service. The Board also found no evidence linking the kidney stone disorder to herbicide agent exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his renal cell carcinoma (RCC) due to both Agent Orange exposure and secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II (DM).,The evidence did not support a link between RCC and either DM or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of a kidney condition due to the appellant's withdrawal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate disability, and renal disease have been granted. The issues of service connection for prostate disability and renal disease are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities as secondary to diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease. The claim for COPD is denied due to lack of a causal link between current symptoms and service.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection decision was made.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to a lack of sufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the causal relationship between the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma and his active duty, specifically his presumed exposure to herbicide agents while stationed in Vietnam. The Board also noted that if service connection is granted for the cause of death, it may impact whether the appellant is entitled to DEA benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney disease as secondary to her service-connected low back condition, finding that there is no current diagnosis of chronic kidney disease or related residuals.

The Veteran's hepatitis C has been granted a restoration of the 40 percent rating.,Ratings for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities have been granted at 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disability, kidney disability, and liver disability due to inadequate opinions regarding their relationship to military service. The VA is required to provide additional medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Veteran's kidney stones were granted a 20 percent evaluation prior to June 4, 2019.,An evaluation in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's kidney stones from June 4, 2019 was denied.,The claim for reopening service connection for a neuropsychiatric condition (claimed as nervous disorder, anxiety, depression and PTSD) has been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his kidney disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service or exposure to herbicides. The Board concluded that the Veteran's kidney disabilities were not incurred during active duty.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to kidney cancer and lung cancer, finding that the Veteran's cause of death was renal cell carcinoma with bone metastases, which is not related to his service, including in-service exposure to Agent Orange.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for a 100 percent evaluation for renal failure, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease (with stent placement) is dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to service or exposure to Agent Orange. The preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that any disability caused by service-connected conditions contributed to his death.

The Veteran's cause of death was found to be multifactorial, with prostate cancer and hypertension contributing substantially or materially. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death.