The Board found that the Veteran's kidney disorders are not related to his active duty service, including exposure to herbicides or napalm. The evidence does not establish a direct link between his in-service exposures and his current conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's kidney disorders were less likely than not related to service due to lack of treatment records and other factors.
- Claimed conditions
- left kidney renal cell carcinoma, right kidney end stage renal disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 22, 2016
- Citation
- 1611527
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1611527.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a deficiency in the VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his obesity, which is an intermediate step towards his left kidney renal cell carcinoma.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted on August 13, 2018. The effective date is set at this date.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left kidney renal cell carcinoma, finding it related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to conflicting opinions on its etiology.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of left kidney renal cell carcinoma has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to proceed with the case as he is deceased.
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