Kidney disease decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity numbness secondary to radiculopathy. The issues of service connection for kidney pain and bladder discomfort have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the cause of death and its relation to service, specifically herbicide exposure. The Veteran's death certificate lists cardiac arrest as the immediate cause of death.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease on a presumptive basis. Service connection for diabetes mellitus and kidney disease as secondary to diabetes mellitus is remanded due to conflicting medical evidence and the need for updated VA treatment records.

The Board has dismissed the appeal because the appellant died during the pendency of the case.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for kidney, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and respiratory conditions due to their association with a service-connected condition (lupus).

The Veteran's cause of death, pulmonary embolism due to metastatic renal cell carcinoma, is granted as service connection can be established based on exposure to herbicides while stationed at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB.

The Veteran died from cardiopulmonary arrest due to atherosclerotic heart disease and end stage renal failure. The Board found that the cause of death was not related to service-connected conditions, thus denying service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and the need for additional information from the Veteran regarding his employment, education, and specialized training history. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered based on the updated evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney condition and bladder mass have been denied. The remaining issues, including BPH, CAD, ankle conditions, knee conditions, and hand conditions, are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for nephrolithiasis was denied. The TDIU claims for the periods from November 8, 2011 to March 3, 2017 and May 6, 2021 to present were both dismissed as moot due to the Veteran's death (as indicated by the dismissal status). A remand was ordered for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis during the period from March 3, 2017 to May 6, 2021.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension and a kidney condition due to conflicting evidence regarding their onset during service.

The Board has reopened the claims for right shoulder, left shoulder, kidney disability (secondary to herbicide exposure), low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension. However, service connection was not granted for any of these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a kidney disorder, finding that there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also found that these conditions are not related to any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, right ear hearing loss disability, and vertigo have been denied due to lack of current diagnoses.,Service connection has also been denied for hypertension, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral upper extremity and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and a cardiovascular disorder (including CAD).,The Veteran's claim for entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) has also been denied.

The Veteran's request to reopen the claim of service connection for polycystic kidney disease has been granted. The claims for diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy (both lower extremities), prostate cancer, and tinnitus have all been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 30, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney and renal dysfunction is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions. The AOJ must obtain a new opinion considering the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents, jet fuel, and his reported water supply issues.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disorder is rated at 100 percent, effective November 20, 2009. The issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's kidney disorder, including his urinary tract infection, is related to service and remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including neurological disorders, skin conditions, kidney infections, liver disability, and urinary tract infections, all claimed as resulting from radiation, herbicide agent, and chemical exposure. The appeals were either not reopened or denied due to lack of new and material evidence.