Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2006

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining additional service medical records and providing notice of the standards related to reopening previously denied claims.

The Board found that the veteran's chronic bronchitis with bronchiectasis did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating, and thus denied his claim for an increased disability rating.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining his service personnel records and determining if he was exposed to asbestos during service. If exposure is found, a VA examination will be scheduled to determine if any of the veteran's pulmonary conditions are related to in-service asbestos exposure.

The veteran's claims for an effective date prior to July 14, 1999 for a 60 percent rating for bronchial asthma with chronic bronchitis and TDIU were granted as of July 17, 2000.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left inguinal hernia, nasal congestion, bronchitis, a left ear condition, and hearing loss. The evidence does not support these claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing at the RO. The issues of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss and bronchitis are also pending.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and chronic bronchitis on a secondary basis to nicotine dependence that began in service.

The veteran's appeal is being returned to the Board for scheduling a hearing before a member of the Board at the RO due to his request.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bronchitis, finding no evidence of current disabilities related to service. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied as final due to lack of a chronic disability present in or after service.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis, finding that the new evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for neuritis, chest and back pain was denied. The claim for a 30 percent rating for chronic bronchitis with history of tuberculosis infection with disease, inactive, was granted. The claim for a compensable disability rating for duodenal ulcer was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bronchitis and status post coccidioidomycosis do not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation.

The veteran's COPD, asthma, and bronchitis are found to have been incurred in service due to carbon tetrachloride exposure. The veteran's kidney cancer is also found to be related to his service exposure to carbon tetrachloride.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death was due to AIDS, which developed decades after service. There is no evidence linking his current conditions to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his period of active service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis and an increased evaluation for degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the back at T11-T12 were granted. The RO is instructed to obtain updated medical records from the veteran's private family doctor.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records and the need to identify private doctors who treated the veteran's pulmonary problems.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the veteran's right shoulder tendonitis and left thumb degenerative joint disease, but denied his claims for increased ratings for other conditions. The veteran is currently rated 10% for allergic rhinitis with sinusitis.