Kidney disease Board decisions

The veteran's 100% rating for renal disease with macrocytic anemia was restored due to the void ab initio nature of the July 1998 RO decision reducing it to 60%. The restoration is subject to applicable laws and regulations regarding payment of monetary benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of increased rating for PTSD, total disability based on individual unemployability, service connection for kidney condition, and service connection for liver condition are pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his gunshot wounds and shell fragment injuries, contributed to his death from chronic renal failure.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and eligibility for dependent's educational assistance under Chapter 35, as there was no evidence to support a finding that the veteran's death was due to a service-connected disability or exposure to Agent Orange. The veteran did not have a permanent and total service-connected disability at the time of his death.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's service-connected kidney stones do not warrant a compensable initial rating, as there is no evidence of recurrent stone formation requiring therapeutic measures or symptoms such as colic, infection, or need for catheter drainage.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The RO granted service connection and assigned noncompensable evaluations to all disabilities except right ankle arthritis and residual of fracture of the right fibula, which was rated at 20 percent effective December 1, 1998.

The Board found that the appellant's Substantive Appeal of September 1994 was not timely filed, and therefore dismissed his appeal on the claim seeking service connection for a renal disorder.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for the claimed conditions, including back disorder, hypertension, kidney disorder, and urinary disorder. The appellant's claims were denied as there was insufficient medical evidence to support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has denied service connection for a right kidney cyst, but granted service connection for skin cancer of the left ear. The decision is mixed as one issue was granted and another was denied.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected. The claims for prostate disorder, kidney stones, and back disorder are not well-grounded as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to an incident of service or a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected kidney stones with prostatitis and urethritis did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from ventricular arrhythmia due to ischemic cardiomyopathy. The claim for dependents' educational assistance benefits was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic acquired kidney disorder as secondary to his service-connected prostatitis, bladder obstruction and cystitis due to lack of evidence supporting this claim.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for kidney cancer, skin cancer, and a back disorder. The heart disorder claim is also denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking it to PTSD.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder is being remanded due to the Board's characterization of the claim as overly narrow. The Court instructed that evidence favorable to the appellant's broader claim should be considered, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.

The Board has found that the veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and a back disorder are well grounded. The RO is directed to undertake development as outlined in the remand instructions before rating these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder, including renal cell carcinoma of the left kidney, is not well-grounded. The evidence does not establish a nexus between his current condition and service.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the veteran's death, and thus has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and finds it well-grounded. The new evidence, including medical articles linking NSAIDs to gastrointestinal and liver disease, supports a plausible link between the veteran's service-connected ankylosing spondylitis and his death.

The Board's decision was vacated due to the veteran's death, and the appeal is dismissed.