Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disability and denied claims for left ankle, bilateral hip, bronchitis, sinus, lumbar spine, and bilateral knee disabilities. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's requests to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions have been granted.,The reopened claims include headaches, sinusitis (previously addressed as sinus condition with hay fever and bronchitis), chronic fatigue, right ankle Achilles tendonitis, bilateral hearing loss, and skin rash. These claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, bronchitis, right hand/finger condition, and left heel condition have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service events that could support service connection.,Service connection has not been established for any of the claimed conditions due to a lack of medical evidence linking them to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions. The issues include sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, lumbar spine disability, bilateral hip disability, hypertension, loss of use of both hands, and left ankle tibial nerve neuritis.

The Board has granted service connection for bullous emphysema, but the issues of service connection for chronic bronchitis, asthma, and sinus tachycardia are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for asthmatic bronchitis as new and material evidence was not received, despite ongoing treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and no service connection or rating decisions were made.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic bronchitis was denied.,An initial rating of 10 percent for left elbow lateral extensor origin release, partial lateral epicondylectomy was granted with a temporary 100% rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis and COPD due to exposure to burn pits during his military service in Vietnam. The Veteran was a Heavy Vehicle Driver, which likely exposed him to fuel fumes. He currently has diagnoses of bronchitis and COPD. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his service.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected and non-service-connected disabilities, including ratings for various conditions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain the Veteran’s SSA records and update VA treatment records before readjudicating these claims.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded due to deficiencies in a VA examination and for further consideration of the service connection claim, reduction rating issue, and TDIU claim.

The Board denied the claims of service connection for various conditions including respiratory, sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, implantable cardioverter defibrillator due to non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory and gynecological disorders are being remanded due to inadequate opinions regarding the relationship between her conditions and military service.

The Veteran's chronic bronchitis with history of pneumonia and COPD was rated as noncompensable prior to March 13, 2018. The Board found that the disability did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on FEV-1/FVC post-bronchodilator results.,The Veteran's tinea pedis was rated as zero percent (noncompensable) prior to March 13, 2018. The Board found that the disability did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on affected body areas or systemic therapy.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development regarding effective dates and whether new evidence supports reopening a claim of service connection for respiratory disabilities. The Veteran's claims are currently under review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, COPD, and bronchitis due to a lack of STRs. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with other issues.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise that these conditions are related to military noise exposure. Service connection for bronchitis was denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, upper respiratory infection, and common cold (previously claimed as upper airway resistance syndrome), finding that these conditions are not related to his military service or a service-connected condition.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, including bronchitis or COPD, on a secondary basis as the Veteran's current respiratory disorders were not caused by any of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for his left knee meniscal tear with arthritis and right knee arthritis have been denied.,A separate 20 percent rating has been granted for the Veteran's left knee meniscal tear under Diagnostic Code 5258. The Veteran's right knee arthritis remains at a 10 percent rating.