Kidney disease decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back injury, right ankle condition, left ankle condition, diabetes, and kidney disease as secondary to a back injury and bilateral ankle condition due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and missing SSA information. The VA examiner will need to provide an opinion on whether service-connected disability contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death, considering the appellant's assertions about exposure during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's nephrosclerosis, claimed as kidney disease due to strep infection, did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury. Therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

An effective date of October 7, 2014, is granted for the grant of service connection for mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.,Effective dates earlier than July 16, 2013, are denied for the grants of service connection for left lower extremity and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claim for a kidney condition, to include as secondary to hypertension, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for a back condition is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's kidney cancer is not related to service, including exposure to herbicides or aircraft fuel fumes. The claim for service connection for kidney cancer was denied.

The Veteran's chronic renal disease was denied a rating in excess of 60 percent from December 17, 2010 until July 26, 2016 and a rating in excess of 80 percent from July 26, 2016 until June 30, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder, left elbow, and right elbow arthritis, COPD, and kidney stones were denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the current diagnoses and service or any presumptive exposure.,Service connection was not granted as there is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further medical opinion regarding the Veteran's kidney disease.

The Board has decided that a remand is necessary due to the inadequacy of the September 2019 VA examination, which did not address whether the Veteran's kidney condition was aggravated by his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic kidney disease and left lower extremity disorder was denied. The case is remanded to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the left lower extremity disorder.

The Board denied service connection for renal failure and neurogenic bladder (claimed as frequent urination) to include as due to hypertension, finding that the Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of a nexus between her current conditions and her military service.

The Veteran's Parkinson’s Disease, postsurgical aortocoronary bypass, type II diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease secondary to type II diabetes mellitus, and skin disorder (chloracne) are all granted as service-connected due to herbicide exposure.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded as the evidence does not conclusively establish its relationship with Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, which led to his fatal chronic renal failure. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied. Service connection for kidney disease was granted. Other claims for increased ratings and compensable disability ratings were all denied.

The Veteran's DVT with anticoagulative disorder, renal artery disorder, and loss of right kidney are all granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claim for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's recurrent kidney stones are related to his active service, including exposure to herbicide agents and a possible hand infection during service. The examiner must consider all relevant evidence and provide an opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's condition.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic kidney disease as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction, resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.

Service connection is granted for hypertension, renal insufficiency, back disorder, neck disorder, sleep apnea, and acquired psychiatric disorder. Headaches, Bell's palsy, and a disability manifested by dizzy spells are remanded due to lack of medical nexus opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of opinion regarding whether the Veteran's kidney disorder is proximately due or aggravated by her service-connected recurrent urinary tract infections.