Asthma decisions — 2005

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder and gastrointestinal disorder, finding no evidence of such conditions during service or due to herbicide exposure. The veteran's current diagnoses were not associated with his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematous all secondary to his service-connected neurodermatitis.

The Board denied the veteran's attempt to reopen his claim for service connection of asthma, finding that the new evidence submitted was cumulative and did not provide a basis to reconsider the merits of the case.

The Board found that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disability was not incurred in or related to his active duty service and denied service connection for this condition. The rating for bronchial asthma prior to December 14, 1999 and from December 15, 1999 to present were also denied. The right ankle disability was also denied.

The Board found no evidence of mustard gas exposure during service and concluded that the veteran's current respiratory disability is not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development, including scheduling a VA medical examination to determine if the veteran currently suffers from asthma and whether any aggravation occurred during service.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical opinions and examinations to assess the severity of the veteran's service-connected disabilities. The veteran will also be provided an opportunity to respond.

The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the September 1952 rating decision denying service connection for bronchial asthma. The claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bronchial asthma is also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of his death.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for bronchial asthma is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the veteran's asthma preexisted service and was not aggravated by military service, thus denying service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for the RO to obtain updated VA medical records and fully evaluate his current level of disability. The case will be readjudicated, and if denied, a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) will be provided.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma, currently rated at 30 percent.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 60 percent evaluation for service-connected bronchial asthma was denied as the RO assigned March 9, 2000 as the effective date based on his increased rating from 30 to 60 percent.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for bronchial asthma, finding that her symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for asthma from December 27, 1996 to March 14, 1999 and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent thereafter.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected muscle strain of the lumbar spine, denied a compensable rating for his bilateral pes planus, and determined that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen his asthma claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including fatigue, difficulty breathing, asthma, dizziness, and peripheral neuropathy, are not related to his active duty service. Therefore, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records and scheduling the veteran for examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's current respiratory disorders, including emphysema, asthma, and COPD, were not incurred in or aggravated during active service.