Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2011

The Board finds that the Veteran's chronic bronchitis is related to his service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a back disability was denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted. The claims of service connection for bronchitis, hearing loss, sleep apnea, hypertension, ulcers, and hemorrhoids were also denied. Service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial 50 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of COPD, bronchitis, urinary disorder (UTI), or dysrhythmia (chest pain) and there is no evidence linking these conditions to service. The preponderance of the evidence is against the claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for tinnitus or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/chronic bronchitis/emphysema, and there was no indication of service connection based on exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a scheduling issue for a hearing. The issues of service connection and special monthly pension are addressed in separate decisions.

The Board finds that there is no evidence of a chronic respiratory disorder due to an undiagnosed illness during service or continuity of symptomatology post-service. The Veteran's current COPD is attributed to her smoking history, not service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that none of the claimed disabilities were incurred or aggravated by military service.

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

The Veteran seeks service connection for a lung disorder, including as due to exposure to Agent Orange. The case is remanded for further development and an examination.

The Veteran's lung condition, including asbestosis and chronic bronchitis, is being remanded for further examination to determine its etiology. The issue of service connection remains on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his pulmonary sarcoidosis with asthmatic bronchitis was granted, effective July 24, 2009. He is now rated at 60 percent for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for pes planus, arthritis of the right knee, and arthritis of the left knee. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not found to be related to his in-service conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and provide a new VA examination to determine his employability due to service-connected bronchitis with right pneumothorax, postoperative.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have objective signs of chronic nose bleeds, memory loss, or bronchitis during his service. The claims for these conditions were denied as they are not considered undiagnosed illnesses and there is no evidence of a current disability attributable to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left knee disability and chronic sinusitis, as well as service connection for a respiratory disorder, are being remanded due to the failure to schedule VA examinations. The Veteran reported an accident that prevented him from attending the scheduled exams.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected chronic bronchitis with COPD.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and thus no jurisdiction remains for adjudicating the merits of this claim.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral pes planus was granted, and he is currently receiving a 20 percent disability rating for his right ankle DJD. The other issues remain pending.

The Veteran's bronchitis with asthma was rated at 30 percent prior to June 5, 1998 and at 60 percent as of that date.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD with asthmatic element is not related to service or any incident of service origin, and denied his claim for service connection.