Asthma decisions — 2017

The Veteran's death was related to his service-connected conditions, but the appeal is being remanded for further consideration of his pending claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, a psychiatric disability (to include depression and anxiety), and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional development of the record.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bronchial asthma with OSA is granted, and his TDIU rating is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current asthma is not related to service, including exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune. The claim for service connection for asthma was denied.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for bronchial asthma and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting an examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining relevant private treatment records and securing VA examinations to address his claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's exercise-induced asthma was incurred during active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to evaluate the current severity of the Veteran's asthma. The claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for asthma was denied as there is no evidence of a valid CUE in the prior decisions, and the new evidence submitted did not meet the criteria for reopening the claim.

The Board denied service connection for melanoma with scar, asthma, sinusitis, and depression, to include dysthymia as the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service or presumed herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, a psychiatric disability (depression), lung cancer, and a lymph node disability have been denied. Service connection is granted for interstitial fibrosis with a compensable rating of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active duty service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability, right groin disability, and asthma. The claim for an increased rating for UTI/cystitis was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further adjudication of a claim related to an earlier effective date for service connection, which may be intertwined with a claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a prior rating decision.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to verify the Veteran's exposure to DDT during service in Vietnam and to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether such exposure caused his fatal pancreatic cancer.

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's service connection claims for asthma and obstructive sleep apnea. The claim of entitlement to service connection for asthma is granted, while the claim for obstructive sleep apnea remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's asthmatic bronchitis with allergic component has been rated at 30 percent since February 23, 2008. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent prior to January 7, 2008, and in excess of 60 percent from that date forward for asthma is denied due to the Veteran's failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for emphysema/COPD, higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood, and a TDIU from May 12, 2008 to December 8, 2010.