The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a kidney disorder and an initial rating for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinions and lack of evidence regarding exposure to chemicals. The case will be further examined to determine if there is a nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service, including any potential aggravation by his service-connected lumbar spine condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing medical opinions were inadequate and did not address all relevant factors as per the April 2020 Remand directives. Specifically, they failed to consider whether the Veteran's kidney problem(s) were due to heavy lifting in service or if his PSOAS muscle condition was related to his current kidney disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- kidney disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2021
- Citation
- 21063976
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 21063976.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from maintaining employment in the construction industry, and he was able to work with accommodations such as sedentary work and frequent breaks. The Board denied his claim for a TDIU.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney disorder is dismissed, and the effective date of his service connection is set at March 29, 2018.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary artery bypass graft s/p myocardial infarction, left leg amputation above the knee due to venous insufficiency, and kidney disorder. The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound was also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions, including heart disorder, DMII, prostate cancer, kidney disorder, hypertension, and essential tremors. The VA examiners did not consider the Veteran's total potential exposures through all applicable military deployments, which includes his exposure as a missile maintenance technician involving solvents, asbestos, petroleum products, and hydraulic fluids.
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