Kidney disease decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for kidney disability is dismissed.,Fibromyalgia (claimed as joint pain and widespread muscle pain/body aches) has been granted service connection, with the condition considered a qualifying chronic disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.

The Veteran's service connection claims for colon cancer, kidney disability (including kidney cancer and renal dysfunction), and rectal cancer are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for a comprehensive VA examination considering all of his service-connected disabilities, and for a rationale supporting the opinion.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and hypertension is granted. The Veteran also received an increased initial rating of 60 percent for his GERD disability.

The Veteran's cause of death is granted under the PACT Act, but a remand is ordered to determine if direct or secondary service connection can be established.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability, left knee disability, bilateral kidney disability, and skin disability.,There is no evidence of current disabilities in these conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, renal disease, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and GERD have been granted service connection based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active duty in Subic Bay, Philippines.,Service connection for sleep apnea disorder, dental condition, cataracts, diabetic gastroparesis, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, right knee disability, left knee disability, and kidney failure have been granted. The Board found that the evidence is approximately balanced to show these conditions are etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a disability incurred in or aggravated by service, nor was it etiologically related to any incident or disease during his active service, including his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral kidney condition, diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes), right hip condition, left hip condition, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension. The issues related to a right knee condition are being remanded.

The Board has denied the claim of service connection for cause of death as new and relevant evidence was not submitted in conjunction with the Appellant's supplemental claim.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection on all issues due to an error in docketing within the AMA system.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including verifying the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents and obtaining additional logbooks from his service on the USS Hornet. The claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions are now pending.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic renal insufficiency and residual of renal cell cancer status post right nephrectomy have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from January 15, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of kidney failure was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his kidney failure was also denied.,The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities was granted.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, as his ischemic brain injury, cardiac arrest, ischemic cardiomyopathy, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease were not related to his military service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).,Service connection for cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis C are denied due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for colon cancer and renal cancer, both linked to in-service exposure to an herbicide agent. The AOJ must obtain medical nexus opinions regarding the probable etiology/etiologies of these conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure, and his end-stage renal disease is secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The claim for direct service connection for hypertension remains pending and requires further development.

The Veteran's kidney cancer is related to his service exposure to herbicide agents, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.