Kidney disease Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran does not have confirmed exposure to herbicide agents or hazardous jet fuel during service, and thus denied his claims for service connection based on direct evidence of a link between his current disabilities and active duty.

The Board denied service connection for renal cell carcinoma and found that the Veteran's post-operative ureterolithiasis with hydronephrosis and renal stones did not cause or aggravate his renal cell carcinoma. The reduction from 20 percent to noncompensable rating for post-operative ureterolithiasis was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions began during or were caused by his military service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for renal cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the colon due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his presumed Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to verify the Veteran's exposures and obtain an advisory medical opinion regarding the relationship between his metastatic kidney cancer and service, including Agent Orange exposure. The AOJ should also consider whether a primary lung cancer was present at death.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, and renal cell carcinoma due to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam. The evidence did not support a finding that these cancers were related to such exposure.

The Board found that the reduction of the rating for pulmonary sarcoidosis from 100 percent to 30 percent was not proper and restored the 100 percent rating. The kidney failure status post transplant claim is pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's kidney cancer is found to be due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and service connection for this condition is granted. The respiratory disability claim remains pending as the evidence does not support a finding of service connection based on the current medical records.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for acid reflux, kidney condition, and prostate disorder. The current diagnoses were not shown in service or within one year post-service separation.

The Board finds that the Veteran's death is less likely than not related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, and service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for pulmonary fibrosis has been granted. From November 16, 2010 through February 13, 2012, the Veteran was awarded a 20% rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his conditions did not manifest during any period of military service and were not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disorder.,The Veteran died from renal cell carcinoma, which was not service connected.

The Veteran's cause of death, multiple myeloma and acute renal failure, was not caused or contributed to by a disability incurred in or aggravated by service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Veteran died in October 2012 from pneumonia with C. difficile infection and dysphagia, failure to thrive, and chronic kidney disease. The cause of death was unrelated to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's cause of death was far advanced carcinoma of the pancreas. The Board found that his service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, and thus denied service connection for cause of death.

The Veteran's nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) has been assigned a 10 percent evaluation prior to October 7, 2015, and a 30 percent evaluation thereafter. The maximum schedular evaluations have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for Graves' disease, kidney disorder, or GERD and therefore service connection is denied.

The Board denied claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a right shoulder disability. The Veteran's current conditions were not found to be related to his active military service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any disability to service or contributing to his death.