Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral foot disability and right and left foot strain has been granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder (including bronchitis and asthma) is pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left ear hearing loss, bronchitis, knee disorders, asthma, and increased evaluation for major depressive disorder. The appeals were decided on a direct basis without any presumption or secondary theory of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have asthma, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, laryngitis, bronchitis, or emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during service and there is no current evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic bronchitis and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides during his military service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional records and a review of his Social Security Administration disability benefits decision.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine the etiology of any nasal/sinus/respiratory disability, including COPD, asthma, seasonal allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, and deviated septum. The Veteran's service treatment records indicate respiratory symptoms in service, but no definitive diagnosis was made.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosed bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were not incurred or aggravated during service, nor may bronchiectasis be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD and chronic bronchitis were not present in service or for many years thereafter, and are not related to his military service. Therefore, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease and asbestosis with chronic bronchitis was denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a relationship between the current heart condition and military service, including conceded asbestos exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's bronchitis is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board found that this rating adequately reflects his disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his chronic bronchitis with COPD.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to have been incurred in service, and the other claims for service connection were granted.

The Veteran's claims for chronic bronchitis and chronic conjunctivitis were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities. The claim for pseudofolliculitis barbae remains pending.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease and chronic pulmonary disorder (claimed as bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, and spots on the lungs) is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The effective date of this grant is July 9, 2009, the date of diagnosis of lung cancer.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and medical examinations to determine the etiology of his cervical spine disorder, kidney cancer, and bronchitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his claimed chronic respiratory disorder and service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the etiology of his pulmonary disorder.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder is not due to undiagnosed illness and was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.