Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and unclear opinions. The issues include osteoarthritis, hysterectomy, bronchitis, and TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's lung disorder, including asthmatic bronchitis, restrictive airway disease, right upper lobe nodule, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease secondary to tobacco use and non-small-cell carcinoma of the right upper lobe, finding that there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including COPD and chronic bronchitis, as secondary to his service-connected hepatitis C. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current respiratory disability to service or service-connected hepatitis C.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for a TDIU is remanded due to the need for further development and consideration of whether he was unemployable prior to September 5, 2017.

The Board has determined that the appellant had active Federal service from March 14, 1960 to September 13, 1960 for purposes of basic entitlement to VA benefits. The claims for service connection and TDIU are being remanded due to incomplete development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including chronic bronchitis and COPD, finding that there was no evidence of these conditions during service or a direct relationship to service. The current diagnosis of restrictive lung disease is not related to service either.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and allergic rhinitis have been rated as noncompensable since their service connection was granted in March 2013. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a bilateral eye condition, hypertension, and chronic bronchitis.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis is denied because it does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6522.

The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for chronic bronchitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to support these claims.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for chronic bronchitis prior to March 1, 2018, and a compensable rating since that period is denied. The Board found the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on PFT results.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bronchitis, degenerative joint disease (DJD), and diabetes-related neuropathy, were denied. The Board found no current disability as claimed in any of these cases.

The Veteran's appeal was remanded for additional evidence. The claims for service connection were not granted, and the ratings for chronic bronchitis and lumbar degenerative arthritis remain unchanged.

The Veteran's COPD with bronchitis is rated at 100% from June 20, 2008 to February 1, 2020. The right knee condition remains on appeal for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for COPD and bronchitis prior to May 9, 2018 was denied as his FEV-1/FVC ratio did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 6604.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, nasal polyps, bronchitis, muscle and joint pain, erectile dysfunction, left knee condition, right knee condition, thoracolumbar spine degenerative changes, bilateral wrist condition, and bilateral elbow condition. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for fatigue, bronchitis, asthma, COPD, a sleep condition (claimed as sleep apnea), high cholesterol, diverticulosis, colon polyps, kidney stones, facial acne, cysts and lumps, and headaches have all been denied.,There is no evidence of any chronic conditions related to service or exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including residuals of a left finger fracture, right dislocated sternoclavicular joint, right and left wrist disabilities, right and left ankle disabilities, bronchitis, chronic upper respiratory illness, and a rib condition. The evidence does not support current diagnoses for any of these conditions.,The Board also remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition, right foot condition, and left foot condition.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as depressive disorder, NOS, is granted service connection. The respiratory disability and memory loss are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his sleep apnea, chronic bronchitis, asthma, COPD, and allergic bronchospasm was denied. The current assigned rating of 60 percent is deemed insufficient.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and bronchitis on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected asbestosis, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to his service-connected pleural plaques. The claim for an increased rating for multifocal, partially calcified pleural plaques was also denied.

The Veteran's asthma with bronchitis and reactive airway disease, left elbow disability, left ankle fracture residuals, hypertension, and left ear hearing loss were all rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations.,The Veteran was denied increased ratings for his asthma, left elbow, left ankle, and hypertension conditions.