Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2014

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a bilateral ear disorder, a respiratory disorder (asthmatic bronchitis), and bilateral hearing loss. The claims were decided on the basis of direct service connection without any presumption or exposure to herbicides/radiation.

The Board found that the Veteran does not currently have bronchitis and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's death was caused by emphysema, which is not service-connected. The VA examiner will review the medical records and determine if his service-connected bronchiectasis with chronic bronchitis contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of sufficient rationale in the November 2011 VA opinion and because SSA records are needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, COPD, and depressive disorder have been denied as there is no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for bronchitis. The Board also found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of COPD and depressive disorder are not related to his active military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a disability manifested by impaired immune system, trachea/heart positional shift, cervical spine disability, depression, OSA, and bronchitis was denied. The Board found no evidence of an impairment in the immune system or any other claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's lung disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred. The criteria for the assignment of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities have not been met.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the Board finds that his cause of death (cardiopulmonary arrest due to acute MI due to CAD) is not related to his military service or a service-connected condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's respiratory disorder, including bronchitis, is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected allergic rhinitis and grants service connection for this condition.