Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of all submitted evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bronchitis were not incurred in or aggravated during service.

The Veteran's claims for reopening a service connection claim and for an increased evaluation of his appendectomy scar are being remanded due to the Veteran's failure to appear at scheduled hearings.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for a lung disorder, including asthma and bronchitis. The Veteran's lung disorders are found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's combined rating of 80 percent due to service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for a TDIU, as her disabilities are rated at least 40% and she meets the percentage requirements. The Board finds no persuasive evidence suggesting that her service-connected disabilities render her unemployable.

The Veteran's current respiratory disabilities are not related to his service or the service-connected hepatitis C, and thus he cannot be granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's respiratory condition is not due to, or the result of, Agent Orange exposure and was not proximately caused or aggravated by any other incident of service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen several service connection claims for various conditions, but the claims are all denied as the appellant did not provide credible evidence of exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board found that there was no new and material evidence to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy. The effective date for the grant of a 10 percent rating for a painful right ankle scar is October 17, 1994.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asbestosis was denied, and his increased rating claim for chronic bronchitis with emphysema was also denied. The Veteran currently has a 30% disability rating for chronic bronchitis with emphysema.

The Board found that the Veteran's current respiratory conditions (COPD, pneumonia, and bronchitis) are not service-connected as they were not causally related to his active service. The most probative medical evidence indicated that these conditions are more likely due to his long-term smoking habit.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, and he has CLL presumed due to herbicide exposure in Guam. His other disabilities are not found to be related to his service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's GERD and asthmatic bronchitis are related to his service-connected psychogenic gastrointestinal disturbance, warranting a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic lung disease, to include bronchitis, COPD, and asbestosis is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have chronic bronchitis and thus, service connection for bronchitis is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic bronchitis has been remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and testing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hyperlipidemia, hypertension (to include as secondary to hyperlipidemia), a respiratory disorder (bronchitis), and a neck disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's bronchitis and COPD were incurred in service, with all reasonable doubt resolved in her favor.

The Board found that the Veteran's restrictive lung disease is not due to his military service, including specifically to his claimed exposure to asbestos while in service and/or frequent diesel and/or jet exhaust fume inhalation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including macules on the tongue, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, a heart murmur, hypertension (HTN), right and left carpal tunnel syndromes, bilateral pes planus, low back disability, residuals of salpingo-oophorectomy, and psychiatric disorders have been granted.