Kidney disease Board decisions

The Board has granted an initial 30 percent rating for the veteran's residuals of kidney stones effective from July 9, 2004.

The veteran's cause of death was not related to military service, including exposure to radiation. The Board found no evidence linking the causes of his death (acute renal failure and other conditions) to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that none of them were incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The veteran's left kidney removal was not due to VA care, but rather his own behavior and substance abuse. The Board denied the claim as there is no evidence of additional disability resulting from VA treatment.

The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to the veteran's low back disability and denied service connection. The right kidney removal was also not connected to military service.

The veteran's PTSD was granted service connection based on in-service stressors. The kidney disorder is pending as it requires additional evidence to establish a link between the condition and service, such as new medical evidence or supporting testimony. Lung disorder remains pending.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to by, a disability incurred in or aggravated by service. The cause of death was intra-abdominal sepsis due to a perforated duodenal ulcer.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for his service-connected knee conditions, pancreas condition, diabetes mellitus, low back condition, kidney condition, prostate condition, neck condition, left wrist condition, right wrist condition, colon/intestine condition, and left hip condition. The veteran was also denied service connection for a bladder condition and a stomach disorder.

The Board determined that the veteran's cause of death, widely metastatic renal cell carcinoma, was not service-connected and denied the claim.

The veteran withdrew her appeals, indicating she was satisfied with the current ratings and felt unable to prove entitlement to higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether lung cancer was or was not a contributing cause of the veteran's death. The appellant argues that lung cancer may have been the primary site of the veteran's cancer, making it a contributory cause of his death.

The veteran's claim for service connection for kidney cancer, which is claimed as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, has been remanded due to new evidence submitted by the veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service records, and further investigation is needed.

The Board has determined that the evidence submitted since the April 1960 rating decision does not constitute new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for albuminuria.

The veteran's renal cell carcinoma was not present during service or until many years after service, and there is no competent medical evidence linking the condition to service, including as due to herbicide exposure. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and providing VCAA notice.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by or contributed to by his service-connected essential arterial hypertension, which substantially contributed to his renal cell cancer.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been denied. The veteran's PTSD claim is granted to a certain extent, but not at the maximum possible evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, residuals of crushed fingers, and a pulmonary disorder (claimed as asbestosis), finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active service. The Board also found that impaired renal function was proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen claims for service connection for numbness on the right side, shortness of breath, headaches, PTSD, and blood in urine and semen, kidney disorder, and swollen testicle. The veteran's claim for residuals of throat surgery with dysphagia and dysphonia remains denied.