Kidney disease Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection for a low back disability is granted.,An initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability prior to February 26, 2018 and thereafter is denied.,An initial compensable rating for kidney stones prior to February 26, 2018 is denied. A rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter is granted beginning from February 26, 2018.,Initial ratings in excess of 20 percent for left shoulder disability, neck disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability are remanded.,Entitlement to service connection for a low back disability is granted. The Veteran's hearing impairment was rated as Level I in both ears prior to February 26, 2018 and as Level I thereafter. Entitlement to an initial compensable rating for kidney stones is denied prior to February 26, 2018 and entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter is granted.,The Veteran's left shoulder, neck, left knee, and right knee disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, cataracts, and cystic disease of the kidneys have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causation.

The Board denied service connection for coronary heart disease and the cause of death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's period of service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have any service-connected disabilities listed as contributing causes of his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, prostate cancer, and a kidney condition have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The claim for diabetes mellitus is granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and prostate cancer have also been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The claim for hypertension is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney condition remains denied as there is no medical evidence showing any kidney condition manifested within one year of discharge from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for renal cancer, finding that there was no evidence linking his condition to service or to herbicide exposure. The preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that the cancer was present in service or related to service.

The Veteran's kidney disease, also claimed as renal toxicity, is denied because the evidence does not support a finding that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury or exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus (DM) and kidney disorder, but denied service connection for left foot disorder and lower extremity neuropathy. The claim for hypertension is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the appeal for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is properly before the Board and has issued a remand due to the need for clarification regarding whether VA's treatment of the CMV infection was careless, negligent, or faulty.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds no evidence of total social and occupational impairment. The issues of service connection for various conditions are remanded due to lack of definitive medical records.

The Veteran's cause of death was not related to service or any service-connected disability, including exposure to toxic herbicides. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine if there is a nexus between the onset of the Veteran's polycystic kidney disease with hypertension and service. The Veteran’s claims are being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability, and the cause of death is unrelated to service. The criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are also not met.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for hearing loss and hypertension, but granted them on the basis that new evidence had been submitted. It also denied the Veteran's petitions for service connection for kidney condition, skin condition, obstructive sleep apnea, PTSD, and lower extremity diabetic neuropathy with radiculopathy (associated with lumbar degenerative joint disease with IVDS L4/5). The effective date for the award of service connection for PTSD was set at September 14, 2015.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that December 4, 2017 is the proper effective date based on a reopened claim. The Veteran died in June 2007 and was not previously service-connected for any of the causes of his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and kidney cancer due to herbicide exposure were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability or a link between the conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for MRSA and hydronephrosis have been denied.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD has been remanded.

The Board has granted DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for postoperative complications of VA surgeries in 2006 and 2009, but the case is remanded for a new opinion on whether service-connected PTSD caused or aggravated hypertension and renal disease.

The Board has granted service connection for low back strain. The remaining claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's kidney failure was not caused by VA care, but rather due to his own non-compliance with medical instructions and treatment. As a result, compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for kidney failure is denied.

The September 2, 2008 rating decision denied service connection for kidney disease as secondary to coronary artery disease (CAD), due to the absence of evidence linking the condition to service or a service-connected disability.