Kidney disease decisions — 2025

The appeal of entitlement to a higher rating for kidney disease was dismissed due to procedural defects in the filing of the Notice of Disagreement.

The Board granted service connection for kidney cancer, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including GERD, bilateral vision impairment, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, headaches, heart disability, hypertension, left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right hip condition, sleep apnea, and urinary frequency.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions and a higher disability rating for PTSD, as the evidence did not support the presence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension and reversed the severance of service connection for several conditions, including hypothyroidism, scars status post thyroidectomy and laryngeal cancer, diabetes mellitus type 2, glaucoma, and laryngeal cancer.

The Board granted service connection for the cause of death, determining that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's fatal conditions were caused by his military service.

The Board granted a 100 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), but denied service connection for a right ankle disability, an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, a compensable rating for renal insufficiency as a residual of rhabdomyolysis, and other claims.

The Board granted service connection for renal disease as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including abnormal weight loss, a bladder disability, blockage of the neck arteries, and others. The evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding VA's obligation to obtain relevant records from the Social Security Administration.

The Board denied service connection for an eye disability and a kidney disability, as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for a kidney condition, to include gouty nephropathy and chronic kidney disease, as there is enough ambiguity in the Veteran's records regarding whether his diabetes caused or aggravated his kidney condition.

The Board granted service connection for stage B3 kidney disease as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected plasmacytoma with multiple myeloma.

The Board denied service connection for left hip strain, right hip strain, cervical strain, kidney stones, right elbow tendonitis, and left knee strain as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for chronic kidney disease and service connection for blurry vision, left shoulder strain, and right shoulder strain.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including renal failure, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, blackout spells, swelling of the eyelids, diminished eyesight, sleep deprivation, and bladder incontinence. The Board also denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ankle tendonitis associated with residual scar.

The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to new evidence that was not previously considered.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition secondary to tinnitus and small umbilical hernia, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to active service or caused by service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claim for further development, including obtaining a new medical nexus opinion and addressing potential exposure to herbicides and asbestos.

The appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the Veteran was granted a 30 percent initial rating for neoplasm of the kidney with kidney removal.