Kidney disease decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to an administrative error in submitting a modernized review system form instead of a legacy one. The Veteran must file a timely VA Form 9 if he wishes to continue his appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, kidney disorder, bilateral eye disability, psycho-organic disorder, and hypertension. The issues of service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and bradycardia are being remanded due to potential incomplete VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, kidney disorder, bilateral eye disability, psycho-organic disorder, and hypertension have been denied. The issues of service connection for GERD and bradycardia are being remanded as there may be outstanding relevant VA treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50 percent from February 23, 2017 to September 10, 2020. The rating for PTSD was increased to 50 percent effective September 10, 2020. Bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating. Service connection for kidney disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease, pulmonary congestion, skin cancer, and cause of death due to service connection purposes. The issues are related to exposure at Camp Lejeune. Additional medical opinions are needed regarding these conditions.

The Veteran's right knee limitation of extension is currently rated as 20 percent disabling from July 20, 2015. The Board has remanded the issue for further development.,Service connection for a chronic kidney disability and a chronic forearm strain remains pending.

The Board has remanded multiple claims for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for new examinations. The Veteran's skin, heart, right shoulder, back, arthritis (claimed as multi-joint pain), bronchial condition, throat cancer, kidney cancer, spleen condition, tongue condition (to include a tumor), sinusitis, pancreatitis, and brain trauma claims are all remanded.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any disability causing or contributing to his death with active service. The Veteran died from metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma and other conditions not related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD claim is remanded for further development. The service connection claims for colon disability, ventral hernia, and renal cell carcinoma chromophobe type are also remanded.

The Veteran's kidney cancer, status post left radical nephrectomy transplant, has been rated at 30 percent since February 1, 2021. The Board found that the evidence does not support a rating in excess of this amount.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected due to the lack of evidence linking his terminal conditions to service. DIC benefits were also denied as he did not meet the criteria for continuous total disability rating.

The Veteran's kidney cancer, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all granted service connection due to presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's kidney disease and any acquired psychiatric condition, claimed as bipolar type II, are both granted service connection based on exposure to Agent Orange during military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a current disability within one year post-service.,Service connection for the left knee condition is denied due to lack of continuity of symptoms and negative findings during service. The Veteran's current complaints are attributed to post-service employment and weight gain.

The Board has granted service connection for pituitary macroadenoma and renal cell carcinoma, finding that these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer and herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for service connection for hypertension and a bilateral hand disability has been granted. The initial increased rating of 30 percent for kidney stones is also granted.,Service connection for hypertension and a bilateral hand disability remains remanded, while the claim for an increased rating for GERD is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and an inadequate VA opinion. The Veteran's kidney condition is being reviewed again for proper consideration.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives. The Veteran was not provided proper notice and opportunity for VA examinations related to his kidney, liver, and pituitary gland disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and his tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations.,The Veteran's CKD was not rated higher than 60 percent prior to July 19, 2019.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for a TDIU or DEA effective date as of August 31, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for cervical and thoracic spine disabilities have been granted, so the issues are dismissed as moot.,The Veteran's lung disability (sarcoidosis with lung calcification and granuloma) and kidney cysts claims require additional medical opinions to determine if they are related to service.

The Board has determined that the VA Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) decision denying eligibility for PCAFC benefits was inadequate, and thus remanded for further review.