Kidney disease Board decisions

The veteran's claims for service connection for his right kidney cancer, spleen and adrenal gland conditions are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is necessary to determine if the veteran's current hypertension and kidney disorder are related to service. The RO must also obtain any relevant private treatment records from the 1980s.

The appellant's claim for accrued benefits due to her spouse's death was denied because the claim was not filed within one year of the veteran's death. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board found that the veteran's renal failure was not caused by VA treatment, but rather due to his pre-existing conditions and medication use. The decision concluded that compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 were denied.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected transurethral resection of the prostate and bladder neck, with a history of atonic bladder and kidney stones. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for residuals of left kidney removal due to cancer, finding that the veteran's current symptoms do not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current bowel disorder, or any other claimed conditions. He was already receiving the maximum schedular rating for his scars.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not related to his military service and did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board found no evidence of diabetes mellitus or chronic renal failure during service and denied the claims based on lack of a nexus to service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for gout, hypertension, and kidney disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and a nexus opinion.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hepatitis B positive antibody, atrophy of the left kidney, and hypertension as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to herbicides. The veteran did not have any chronic infections or significant medical history related to these conditions during service.

The veteran's service-connected residuals of hemorrhagic fever with hypertension, retinal arteriosclerosis, renal impairment, and inability to concentrate urine are currently rated at 60 percent, the highest available rating under Diagnostic Code 7502.

The veteran died of MRSA pneumonia due to multisystem organ failure and acute viral hepatitis. The Board found that the cause of death was not service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney disability, increased evaluations for his lumbar spine and femur fractures, and a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of a kidney disorder related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic renal failure as secondary to the veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, but concluded that there was no competent evidence linking the cause of his death to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected post-traumatic personality changes did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denied service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a kidney disorder and granted service connection for residuals of shrapnel wounds to the right knee and chest. The veteran's current conditions are rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining the veteran's service medical records and readjudicating the issue of entitlement to service connection for kidney failure.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or materially contribute to his death, and thus denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the DIC claim.