The Veteran's initial rating for nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) prior to August 5, 2015, is granted at a 10 percent level. From August 5, 2015, the higher rating of 30 percent is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms during the period prior to August 5, 2015, were consistent with occasional episodes of kidney stones without requiring invasive procedures or drug therapy for recurrent stone formation.
- Claimed conditions
- Nephrolithiasis (kidney stones)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19109565
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,030 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19109565.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's kidney stones were granted a 10 percent rating, which is the maximum non-compensable rating available. The symptoms included intermittent dysuria and flank pain without evidence of infection or catheter drainage.
- Granted
The Veteran's kidney stone condition is rated at a 10 percent rating, but no more. The medical evidence shows occasional attacks of colic without infection or catheter drainage.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a urinary tract disability and nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected psychiatric disability, service connection for persistent depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for nephrolithiasis (kidney stones), and service connection for hypertension. The claim for a compensable rating for migraine headaches was remanded.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.