Kidney disease decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a lack of medical evidence regarding the cause of his death and the potential link between his service-connected hip injury with embedded shrapnel and his death from septic shock and renal failure.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for his right second toe infection was denied because there is no evidence that VA care caused or contributed to his current condition. The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, so his claim for TDIU was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for kidney cancer and prostate cancer, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete service records and insufficient medical evidence on file. The claims are now pending again.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart condition (triple bypass surgery), left leg amputation, right leg amputation, kidney disease, and hypertension due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied compensation for the cause of death under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, finding that VA treatment did not cause or contribute to the Veteran’s disability and/or cause of death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for kidney disease, including as due to herbicide agent exposure (Agent Orange), due to conflicting evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran served in Vietnam from 1967-1968 and reported Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure. The cases of kidney stones, skin cancer (melanoma), and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various cancers, including bladder cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, and skin cancer, due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The remand includes obtaining VA treatment records, addressing the extent of the Veteran's exposure to radiation, preparing a dose estimate by VA, and obtaining an addendum medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and exophytic cyst of the right kidney has been granted. The effective date is not specified as it is the earliest possible.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his renal carcinoma with metastasis to the liver and lungs was not linked to disease or injury incurred in active service, including herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the VA treatment from May 30 to June 6, 2013 did not cause his additional disabilities. The Board found no reasonable possibility that obtaining a medical opinion would aid in substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam service.,Secondary service connection for the Veteran's prostate condition is also granted, as it is proximately due to his service-connected bladder cancer.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate reasons and bases in the February 2019 decision, specifically regarding the impact of presumed herbicide agent exposure on the Veteran's kidney tumors. The case is now being sent back for a new VA medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and need for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current kidney disability is related to his in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's service-connected conditions include voiding dysfunction, renal dysfunction, PTSD, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral hearing loss. Additional development is needed to determine if these conditions prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension, gout, and a gastrointestinal disorder due to conflicting opinions and need for further development. The TDIU issue is also remanded as it depends on the outcome of these other claims.

The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete records and procedural issues, including a missed hearing.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient information on the severity of the Veteran's McArdle’s disease and its impact on his employment.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, adrenal gland disorder, and benign paroxysmal vertigo/Meniere's disease have been denied as they are not related to his service or herbicide exposure.,Service connection was denied for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to a lack of medical evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by his military service.