Asthma Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error in the March 2022 VA medical opinion, and the Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma due to asbestos exposure is now pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing, a special home adaptation grant, or an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment. The Board found that none of his conditions qualify under the applicable VA regulations.

The Veteran's asthma is rated at 30 percent prior to October 24, 2016, and obstructive sleep apnea with asthma is rated at 50 percent on and after October 24, 2016. Both ratings are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis and asthma, finding that the Veteran's conditions manifested after his military service in Southwest Asia. The exposure to fine particulate matter during his service is presumed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, anxiety condition, asthma (shortness of breath), obstructive sleep apnea, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, and left hip condition have all been denied. The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee condition and right knee condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection and a rating increase for obstructive sleep apnea was granted with an effective date of October 31, 2007. The condition is secondary to his service-connected asthma.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease and asthma.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including asthma and moderate obstructive airway disease due to insufficient evidence at the time of the June 2022 decision on appeal.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for his award of service connection for asthma, which was granted on August 5, 2021. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's asthma.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected PTSD and asthma, which severely limit her ability to work.

The Veteran's asthma is remanded for further examination and opinion due to a lack of in-service medical records, and the need to consider toxic exposure risk activities.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for asthma and a separate compensable disability rating for asthma is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support entitlement to these claims.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a rating of 50 percent, effective December 6, 2021. The claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis in the back and bronchial asthma are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for asthma and left knee degenerative arthritis due to insufficient evidence in the record, including a lack of adequate VA examinations. The AOJ is directed to attempt to obtain active duty service treatment records from September 1983 to December 1987 and schedule a VA examination to address the claimed conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for asthma and shortness of breath due to a lack of adequate examination findings. The Veteran is presumed exposed to fine particulate matter during his service in Afghanistan, but further testing is needed to confirm any diagnoses.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD, insomnia, migraine headaches, asthma, right elbow bursitis, and a ventral hernia as there is no evidence of current disabilities during or shortly after the Veteran's separation from service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain an opinion regarding how the appellant's service-connected disabilities, in combination with one another, impact his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining this additional information.

The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 60 percent, and the Board has denied a higher rating. The claim for TDIU due to service-connected disability was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence to warrant readjudication of the claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The issue of an increased rating for Asthma is also remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.