Kidney disease decisions — 2022

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease is found to be at least as likely as not related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient development and need for additional opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases of diabetes mellitus, cataract disability, and cystic disease of the kidneys due to incomplete unit history records and morning reports for confirmation of exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for kidney, liver, and pituitary gland disabilities secondary to herbicide exposure due to incomplete development.

Service connection for OSA is granted. Service connection for left thumb injury and left rib condition are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding his kidney disability, chest pain, anemia, and knee disabilities. The issues of temporary total rating (TTR) under 38 C.F.R. § 4.30 for surgery on the knees will also be remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the service connection claims.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent disability rating for kidney stones is being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding which prior rating decision contained clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's hypertension and kidney disorder, including preeclampsia. The remand is due to insufficient evidence in her claims file.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and conflicting statements regarding hearing requests. The claims are related to presumed herbicide agent exposure, but no VA examiner has provided an opinion on whether any of the claimed conditions are related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further review due to incomplete medical opinions and a new theory of entitlement raised by the appellant.

The Veteran's cause of death was not related to service-connected conditions or exposure to herbicide agents. The Board has ordered a remand for further medical opinion regarding the cause of death.

The Veteran's cancer of the right kidney is granted service connection on a direct basis due to herbicide agent exposure. His erectile dysfunction, which he contends is secondary to his diabetes mellitus, type II, is also granted service connection.

The Veteran's death was not due to any service-connected disability, and there were no pending claims for accrued benefits at the time of his death.

The Veteran's L3/L4 osteomyelitis, MRSA infection of the epigastrium, hernias, and chronic kidney disease were not caused by VA's carelessness or negligence. The appeal is denied.

The Board denied service connection for back and shoulder disabilities, finding no evidence of a nexus to service. Service connection for renal toxicity was also denied as the Veteran's ESRD was attributed to benign prostatic hypertrophy rather than exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to her service-connected disabilities and new claims for various conditions. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary due to the Veteran's failure to appear at scheduled VA examinations, as well as the need to obtain authorization for medical records from civilian facilities and personnel records regarding her deployments.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disability, to include renal cysts, finding that there is no evidence of direct service connection and noting conflicting medical opinions regarding secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for lung cancer, heart disease, and kidney disease due to asbestos exposure. The VA is required to obtain medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and insufficient medical opinion to establish a link between diabetes mellitus and service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's kidney disorder, including a urinary tract infection, is not service-connected. The case is being sent back for further development and an addendum opinion to address the relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his service.