Kidney disease Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by VA carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or an event not reasonably foreseeable. The use of amiodarone did not contribute to his cause of death.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, particularly regarding his assertions of continuity of symptoms since separation from active duty and the potential secondary effects of his alcohol abuse on his liver disease.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU due to incomplete medical records and insufficient opinions regarding the impact of CML on his health.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypotension, diabetes, and kidney failure have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.,Diabetes was not caused by service, including the alleged consumption of 'bug juice' during boxing. The Veteran did not experience symptoms since discharge.

The Veteran's service connection claims for cerebrovascular accident, heart condition, kidney condition, testicular condition, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), bilateral knee condition, and left lower and upper extremity paralysis have all been denied as there is no evidence of a direct link between these conditions and his military service.,The Veteran's service records were destroyed in 1973, making it impossible to establish any connection between the claimed disabilities and his active duty.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II are presumed to be service-connected due to herbicide-agent exposure during active duty.,The Veteran's hypertension, gallbladder residuals, neuropathy of the lower extremities, and kidney disability are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and right lower extremity bradykinesia, loss of automatic movements, and muscle rigidity, result in the need for assistive devices such as a walker to prevent locomotion without them. The Board finds eligibility for specially adapted housing due to these service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and his laceration of the right eyebrow does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran’s kidney condition requires additional records to be obtained before a determination can be made.

The Veteran's polycystic kidney disease was not incurred or aggravated by his active service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the cases due to new information regarding the relationship between hypertension and Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for kidney cancer was granted. Service connection is also granted for the disability and its residuals. The issue of service connection for back disability, which may be related to the service-connected kidney cancer, has been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for tinea cruris, tinea pedis, tinea versicolor and onychomycosis were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus to service. The claim for MDD was granted due to its relationship with service-connected hypertension and erectile dysfunction.,The claims for tension headaches, GERD, and OSA were all granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's renal dysfunction is denied as not incurred in service.,An initial rating of 50% for the service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood (previously called bipolar disorder I mixed with depression) is granted effective April 26, 2018. The claim is remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including diabetes mellitus type II and its secondary conditions. The case is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Veteran's renal cell carcinoma, status post left nephrectomy, is granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active duty. His hypothyroidism is also granted as secondary to his service-connected renal cell carcinoma.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluation and TDIU are remanded due to the need for new VA examinations to assess current severity of his service-connected conditions, as well as additional records from recent treatment providers.

The Board has granted service connection for left kidney cancer due to exposure to herbicides, but denied service connection for rectal cancer.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II and heart conditions, due to a lack of evidence of herbicide exposure during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted as the preponderance of the evidence did not support his assertions of herbicide exposure or causation.

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about potential fault on the part of VA medical staff in causing the Veteran's end-stage kidney disease. A new opinion is needed to determine if carelessness, negligence, or similar instance of fault caused this disability.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for an increased rating for posttraumatic stress disorder and service connection for a kidney disability due to the death of the appellant.