Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2000

The veteran's varicose veins of the right leg are rated at 10 percent, and his bronchitis is also rated at 10 percent. The Board has granted these ratings.

The veteran's appeal for increased ratings for headaches and a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability was denied. The veteran is currently employed full-time, and there is no evidence of unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis, finding no evidence of mustard gas exposure and no current condition related to inservice exposure.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's bronchitis and bronchial asthma, left knee medial meniscectomy, fractures of various bones, tinea pedis, and bilateral plantar warts.

The Board denied service connection for claimed skin conditions, bronchitis, laryngitis, emphysema, and conjunctivitis due to exposure to mustard gas as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities or a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for a heart disorder, residuals of injuries to the chest, arms, and legs, osteoarthritis (claimed as rheumatism), and bronchitis are not well-grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis and hypertension, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen these claims.

The veteran's increased rating claims for various service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.

The Board denied service connection for hyperopia of the right eye and residuals of pneumonia including chronic bronchitis and other respiratory problems. The veteran did not meet the requirements to have the decision revised on grounds of clear and unmistakable error.

The veteran's claims for service connection for Hepatitis C with liver damage and chronic bronchitis are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining statements from VA doctors who have purportedly linked these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis was not well-grounded due to a lack of current chronic bronchitis related to service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) found that the appellant's claim for service connection for bronchitis secondary to tobacco use during military service was not well-grounded. The BVA concluded there is no evidence showing current bronchitis, and no link between tobacco use in service and any lung disorder.

The Board found that the RO improperly reduced the disability evaluation for the veteran's asthmatic bronchitis from 30 to 10 percent effective as of August 1, 1981. The reduction was upheld for the anxiety disorder with depressive features. However, the termination of a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability was found proper.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension, gastritis, asthmatic bronchitis, and atypical psychosis. The RO assigned noncompensable evaluations to these conditions in June 1993.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for cardiovascular disease and bronchitis as they are not well grounded. The claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus is well grounded, but further development is needed to determine its etiology.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, bronchitis, and hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy as her claims are not well-grounded.

The Board found that service connection for bronchitis was not warranted, but granted service connection for other conditions and assigned noncompensable evaluations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bronchitis and rhinitis were incurred in service, and thus granted service connection for these conditions. The lumbar spine condition claim was denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen it.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for asthmatic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is well-grounded, as there is medical evidence linking his current lung conditions to exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke during active duty. The RO must now provide a VA examination to determine if this link is at least as likely as not caused by the veteran's service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for cavernous hemangioma, varicose veins, and initial evaluations for pulmonary disorder (asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and atherosclerotic heart disease are granted. The claim for service connection for depression is also granted.