Kidney disease decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service connection claim for a kidney condition and his increased rating claim for bowel resection disability were both denied. The Board found no evidence of any renal disease in the service records, and the VA examiner determined that the current kidney condition is not related to service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including neck disability, impotence, testicular cancer residuals, kidney disability, and diabetes mellitus type 2. The claims are being reviewed due to new evidence or unclear examination reports.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for residuals of right radial nephrectomy was denied. The Veteran also received entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from March 1, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient etiology opinion regarding the Veteran's kidney disease, which may be related to exposure at Camp Lejeune during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left kidney mass and cardiac condition, both potentially related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The claims will be reviewed with additional medical examination and consideration of all available records.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's chronic kidney disease is not related to his service and cannot be granted as secondary to his diabetes mellitus. The case is being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an inversion injury to the left ankle, anxiety disorder, hypertension secondary to anxiety disorder, and a kidney condition due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The appeals are pending until further action is taken.

The Veteran's appeals regarding various disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, heart disorder, adrenal adenoma, hypertension, gout, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to PTSD, have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung cancer and kidney cancer, alleging exposure to herbicide agents while stationed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB). The AOJ is instructed to obtain medical records, verify herbicide exposure, and consider a VA medical opinion if necessary.

The claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, including as due to exposure to herbicide agents, has been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran’s cause of death (aortic valve stenosis and COPD) to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney disability, finding that there is no evidence of a relationship between his current kidney disability and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during service.

The Board found that the Veteran was insane at the time of misconduct leading to his bad conduct discharge, thus removing any statutory or regulatory bar to VA benefits.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right kidney nephrectomy and splenectomy due to Agent Orange exposure, as well as the claim for TDIU. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any chronic kidney disability, intestinal bacterial infection, gout, erectile dysfunction, left breast disability, eye disability, or heart disability. Post-service medical records also lack evidence of these conditions.,There is no indication that the Veteran’s current conditions are related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right heel condition and for an increased rating for his kidney condition due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for kidney cancer and a post-surgical left flank scar, as these issues are intertwined and require further clarification.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death due to service-connected disabilities, finding no evidence linking the Veteran's conditions to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and there is no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents. Therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied. The appellant also did not meet the criteria for burial benefits as her husband was not receiving VA compensation or pension at the time of his death.

The Veteran's service connection claims for myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and heart condition have been granted. The issues of higher ratings for back conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for benign hypertensive renal disease is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new VA examination.