Kidney disease Board decisions

The Veteran's right-sided nephroureterectomy due to T1 high grade TCC of the kidney and T2 TCC of the distal ureter is granted as related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral tinnitus, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, a heart condition, depression, and diabetes mellitus type II. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed before deciding if the Veteran's chronic renal disease contributed to his death, which was caused by sepsis with COVID-19 pneumonitis and other conditions.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for chloracne, jungle rot, and renal stenosis were denied as there was no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service. The Board found that the Veteran did not have any diagnosed skin disorders (chloracne or jungle rot) during service or within one year after separation, nor could he establish exposure to herbicide agents/Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease is caused by his service-connected hypertension. The Board has granted the claim for service connection for chronic kidney disease, secondary to service-connected hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his hepatitis C, which originated during active service, caused or contributed to his fatal renal disability.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the Board not providing sufficient reasons and bases for its reliance on the June 2018 VA examination regarding complications from his diabetes, specifically decreased kidney function and cardiovascular problems.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination regarding the Veteran's kidney disability, specifically chronic kidney disease and kidney stones. The examiner was directed to consider the Veteran's statements about developing a kidney stone during deployment in Iraq.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of renal cell carcinoma due to exposure to Agent Orange, finding that there is no causal link between his current disability and his active service.

Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease. Service connection is also granted for chronic kidney disease, right eye diabetic retinopathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to service-connected diabetes. Service connection is granted for congestive heart failure as secondary to coronary artery disease. The case is remanded for additional opinions on toxic optic neuropathy with altitudinal visual field defect and a heart disorder other than coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's service connection claims for DM2 and CAD are granted. The Board also finds that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents in Thailand, which is sufficient to grant service connection for his peripheral neuropathy conditions and kidney disorder as secondary to his now-service-connected DM2.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU was dismissed. The Board granted an initial separate rating of 80 percent for chronic renal insufficiency prior to May 26, 2022 and a 100 percent rating from that date onward.

The Veteran's partial left kidney nephrectomy was the result of VA's failure to timely diagnose and properly treat a fistula formed after his left kidney biopsy. The Board has granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for kidney damage.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ischemic cardiomyopathy, type II diabetes mellitus, and end-stage renal disease. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for macular degeneration, cataracts, and kidney disorder are remanded due to insufficient development of evidence regarding in-service exposure and medical opinions.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease is rated at a 30 percent disability rating from September 27, 2014 onwards. The Board also granted SMC at the housebound rate for the period starting on September 12, 2019.

The Board has decided the appeal is remanded to obtain a new secondary service connection opinion regarding the Veteran's claim for chronic kidney disease, which is claimed as being related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection for the cause of death and aggravation of service-connected conditions. The Veteran's exposure to herbicides is now presumed under a new law.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as respiratory arrest due to chronic renal disease. The Board found that the service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse did not contribute substantially and materially to his death, nor was it a principal or contributory cause of death.

The Veteran's renal cell carcinoma and diabetes mellitus, type II are granted service connection due to exposure to toxic chemicals at Fort McClellan. The cases for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities as well as SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ are remanded.