The Board has determined that the AOJ erred in failing to consider updated VA treatment records and an insufficient VA examination when deciding on the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic renal disease. The AOJ is directed to obtain any outstanding/updated VA treatment records and conduct another VA examination if necessary.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on outdated medical evidence, and the Board finds that obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting an additional VA examination would provide a more accurate assessment of the Veteran's condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Renal Disease, Kidney Transplant
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2026
- Citation
- A26009164
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 A26009164.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of November 18, 2020 for the separate evaluation of hypertension and secondary service connection for chronic renal disease and congestive heart failure to hypertension. The underlying hypertension was initially presumed based on herbicide exposure under the PACT Act.
- Denied
The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not service-connected and does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.,The Veteran's chronic renal disease has not progressed to require dialysis, and thus cannot be rated at higher than 60 percent. The evidence shows that his GFR remains within normal limits.,PTSD was initially granted in September 2013 with a 30% rating. In the August 2020 decision, the Veteran's PTSD rating was increased to 50%, effective April 28, 2020.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for renal dysfunction, effective August 1, 2019, is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for renal dysfunction, effective November 5, 2020, is denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Multiple Myeloma, Chronic Renal Disease, and Hypertension. The conditions are considered to be directly related to the Veteran's active-duty service.
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