Asthma decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for asthma is being remanded due to the failure to provide proper notice and scheduling of a hearing. The current disability rating remains at 60 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, migraine headaches, thoracolumbar spine disability, and other conditions, render her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board grants a TDIU from January 12, 2005.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when considered in combination, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's asthma disability required intermittent courses of systemic corticosteroid treatment during the period from July 31, 2009 to April 8, 2011. The Board finds that a 60 percent disability rating is warranted for this period.

The Veteran is granted service connection for a breathing disability, specifically asthma or a restrictive lung condition. Service connection for alopecia areata is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video conference hearing. The issues of rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for asthma, service connection for a bilateral knee condition, and service connection for sleep apnea are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma, did not begin during active service and is not otherwise etiologically related to military service.

The Veteran's asthma is related to his military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for chronic asthma and granted service connection, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of the Veteran's claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's recurrent asthmatic bronchitis clearly and unmistakably pre-existed service, and was not aggravated by service. As such, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's skin rash disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable rating criteria.,There is no evidence of asthma during service, and there are no medical records indicating that the Veteran was diagnosed with asthma until after discharge from service.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for asthma, allergic rhinitis, and migraine headaches. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's Reserve service including periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA in 1998, 1999, and 2008, consider theories of service connection based on active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA, obtain VA treatment records, and readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's bronchial asthma is characterized by FEV-1 of less than 40-percent predicted for the appellate period from February 1, 2006 to October 8, 2007. The VA Board has granted an initial disability rating of 100 percent.

The Board found no evidence of current asthma, sleep apnea, or skin rash and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's asthma with asbestosis is associated with a DLCO reading of 47 percent predicted and FVC range from 50 to 64 percent of predicted value, warranting a 60% disability rating effective September 22, 2009 to April 21, 2015.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is service-connected.,The Veteran's asthma was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a Statement of the Case on his service connection claims and verifying herbicide exposure. If verified, he will be scheduled for a VA examination to determine if his current asthma disability is related to herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and scars of both breasts status post augmentation were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for granting higher initial ratings.

The Board has determined that the May 2012 rating decision is not final and requires further development before a determination can be made on the Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory disability and dental disability.

The Veteran's service-connected right leg and asthma disabilities did not prevent her from securing or following gainful employment prior to October 5, 2010.