Kidney disease Board decisions

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the appellant is not entitled to educational assistance benefits.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, gunshot wound to muscle group XIX, removal of the left kidney, lumbosacral strain with arthritis and sacroilitis, status post gastric resection, small bowel resection and previous colostomy with dumping syndrome, and a muscle bulge associated with ventral and incisional hernia, preclude him from obtaining and retaining all forms of substantially gainful employment. As such, the veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The veteran died from multiple conditions, but there is no evidence linking these conditions to service. The appellant's claim for service connection was not well-grounded.

The veteran died from chronic renal failure, but his service-connected conditions did not cause or substantially contribute to his death. The appellant's claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 was denied as the veteran did not meet the criteria for entitlement.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions have been denied. The RO found that the current manifestations of his COPD, hypertension, and low back disability do not warrant higher ratings under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of her husband's death is not well grounded. The medical evidence does not support a link between the veteran's death and his military service.

The Board denied the claim for VA benefits for the veteran's son as a helpless child of the veteran due to lack of evidence showing his condition at or before age 18.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cancer of the bladder and a kidney disorder, as well as his requests for increased ratings for prostatitis and chronic urethritis. The evidence does not support these claims.

The veteran's death was caused by chronic lymphocytic leukemia, with cachexia and pulmonary disease as contributing causes. The service-connected irritable bowel syndrome aggravated the veteran's cachexia, which contributed to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic kidney infection and an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for benign prostatic hypertrophy, finding that his claim was not well-grounded. The tarsal tunnel syndrome issue is pending.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was acute respiratory distress syndrome due to or as a consequence of status post autorenal transplant with renal hepatic failure and fluid overload. The service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to the veteran's death.

The veteran's kidney stones are currently rated as 20 percent disabling. The RO granted an increased evaluation, but the relationship between his service-connected kidney stones and his bladder cancer is not determined.

The veteran's claim for a compensable disability evaluation for residuals of right renal calculi is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected condition and any current urethral stricture.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him bedridden, blind in both eyes, unable to provide for his own daily self-care or protect himself from the hazards of daily living without assistance. The veteran is therefore not entitled to special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Board granted service connection for a heart condition secondary to PTSD and assigned a 60% evaluation effective from July 11, 1991. The veteran's claim of TDIU was also granted with an effective date of July 11, 1991.

The veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions are denied as they are not well-grounded.

The Board is remanding the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and expert opinions regarding the cause of the veteran's death and its relationship to his service-connected lung condition.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was pneumonia due to cerebrovascular accident and chronic renal failure. The appellant did not have a service-connected disability at the time of his death, nor could it be established that any service-connected disability caused or contributed significantly to his death. Therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is denied.

The veteran's history of renal calculi of the left kidney is rated at a compensable 10 percent, based on occasional attacks of colic not requiring catheter drainage.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and granted compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, but did not specify a rating or effective date.