Kidney disease decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring an adequate and thorough VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.

The Veteran's service-connected dysthymic disorder is found to have contributed substantially and materially to his cause of death, which was severe acute renal failure with encephalopathy. The Board has granted the claim for service connection for the cause of death but denied the special monthly compensation claims.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for renal cell carcinoma, bilateral foot conditions (left and right), and other issues are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring further development and consideration of whether prostate cancer and/or radiation treatment therefor was a principal or contributory cause of death by ischemic bowel/colitis, and whether renal cell carcinoma is etiologically related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for chronic kidney disease and COPD were denied due to his failure to appear at scheduled VA examinations without showing good cause.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, coronary arteriosclerosis, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and left foot amputation are all granted as service connected due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings, service connection, and TDIU have been dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as he is deceased.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acute anemia has been granted, and the issue of service connection for recurrent kidney disability to include renal cell carcinoma, nephrectomy residuals, and surgical scars claimed as the result of herbicide agent exposure is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his chronic kidney disease with hypertension prior to August 28, 2018 was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease and erectile dysfunction are found to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by his service-connected complex regional pain syndrome, residuals of fractured right wrist.,The Veteran's multilevel cervical spondyloarthropathy is not found to be secondary to his service-connected condition. The Veteran's bilateral knee osteoarthritis is not found to be related to his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for an infection, status post total right knee replacement is denied because he did not have a current disability characterized as an infection of the right knee during the claim period.

The Veteran's TDIU claim from March 19, 2020 to October 4, 2022 is granted as he meets the schedular criteria for a combined rating of 70 percent due to multiple service-connected disabilities. The earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) eligibility remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of kidney cancer was dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic glomerulonephritis, kidney failure, hyperparathyroidism, and hypertension as these conditions are not shown to be related to her active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and diabetes due to herbicide exposure. The claim of service connection for chronic renal disease is remanded as the Veteran's exposure basis was not addressed.

The Veteran's earlier effective date claim for prostate cancer is dismissed as the Veteran did not continuously pursue his claim and the claim lacks legal merit.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation for loss of use of a creative organ was denied as there were no formal or informal communications from the Veteran prior to June 12, 2020.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disability, including end-stage renal disease. The decision is based on evidence that his multiple urinary tract infections (UTIs) during service likely contributed to his current condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for kidney disease was denied as there is no evidence of a link between his current condition and military service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board found that the Veteran did not have chronic kidney disease within one year of discharge from service and there was insufficient continuity of symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic renal disease, finding that it is related to the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee osteoarthritis and the medication prescribed for those disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claims for kidney condition and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to his diabetes mellitus were denied because there was no disability to provide a nexus at the time of his April 2019 claim, even though he was later granted service connection for diabetes.