Kidney disease Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in duty to assist, including failing to obtain private treatment records and not considering evidence of right kidney cancer.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to herbicide agent exposure during active service in Korea, finding that there was no evidence linking the fatal conditions to active service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to procedural issues. The Board will issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) in response to these claims.

The Veteran's kidney and liver cancers are granted service connection as they are presumed to be related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cause of death, including whether his psychiatric disability contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including verifying his exposure to herbicide agents and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) while stationed at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

The Veteran's ESRD is being remanded due to multiple pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including the need for SSA disability records and private treatment records from Baylor University and FMC Irving Dialysis. An addendum VA medical opinion is also needed regarding the likely etiology of his kidney disease.

The Board has denied service connection for left and right testicle conditions, as well as other issues including a stomach condition, migraine headaches, eye condition, foot condition, and right shoulder condition. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted on a presumptive basis under the PACT Act. His diabetes mellitus, type II with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy of the left eye, peripheral neuropathy affecting multiple extremities, and diabetic chronic kidney disease are all granted or remanded as appropriate.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction and renal disease due to a pre-decisional error in not obtaining a VA medical opinion and examination on the etiology of these disabilities. The Veteran contends that his disabilities are related to herbicide exposure during active service.

The Veteran's rating for right kidney removal with left kidney cyst was reduced from 60 percent to 30 percent, effective September 1, 2021. The Board found the reduction improper and restored the prior 60 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left lower extremity sciatic nerve disorder, chronic kidney disorder, and chronic pain syndrome due to duty-to-assist errors. The cases will be reviewed with a focus on whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's renal cell cancer and Barrett's esophagus have been granted service connection due to herbicide exposure during active duty.,A total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) claim was denied as the Veteran failed to provide requested information.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral renal cell carcinoma, finding that the Veteran's cancer was caused by exposure to Agent Orange during his military service.

The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for a kidney disorder was received by VA on November 7, 2020. The effective date of the award is denied as it cannot be prior to this date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, Parkinson's disease, diabetic nephropathy (claimed as kidney disease), diabetic retinopathy (claimed as vision loss), gallbladder removal, glaucoma, pancreatitis, bitemporal local epilepsy, and lewy body dementia have all been granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, both presumed to be due to herbicide exposure. The issues of increased ratings for lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity sensory loss are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an adequate addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for kidney cancer, which was related to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran is seeking an effective date prior to March 14, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for kidney stones and cysts, finding that these conditions are the result of in-service chemical exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining clarification from a private physician and providing an opinion regarding whether hypertension is related to service or if any service-connected disability caused or aggravated the kidney disability.