Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2020

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for left knee strain, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to new and material evidence. The Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service.,Service connection is granted for left knee strain, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

Service connection for rhinitis is granted, and the Veteran's claims of service connection for asthma and chronic bronchitis are remanded. Service connection for eosinophilia is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a respiratory disability due to service, as there are unclear findings from his October 2017 pulmonary function test and outstanding medical records need to be obtained. The examiner is asked to provide an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims of an initial rating higher than 30 percent for chronic bronchitis and service connection for a body rash due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's bronchitis and asthma with obstructive sleep apnea were not found to warrant a higher rating than the current 60 percent on an extraschedular basis from April 1, 2013 to November 13, 2013. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating was dismissed as moot due to the Veteran's receipt of TDIU effective November 14, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the significance of new pulmonary function test and chest CT results, as well as whether any current lung disability is related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against a link to service. The Veteran's lower back disorder, skin cancer, and chronic bronchitis are remanded for further examination.,Service connection for a lower back disorder, skin cancer, and chronic bronchitis secondary to herbicide exposure in-service are also remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claim for bronchitis and has also granted him service connection for bronchiectasis with a thickened pleura base of the left lung due to pneumonia. The issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bronchiectasis is remanded.

The Veteran's left foot tailor's bunion was granted service connection. The remaining issues of right hip, left hip, right knee, and left knee conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and bronchitis with asthma due to an incomplete record search. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various disabilities, including cervical spine disability, back disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral foot disability, rhinitis, bronchitis, asthma, heart disability, prostate cancer, and urinary incontinence. The reasons are that the Veteran failed to report to scheduled VA examinations for these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, and a low back condition due to new evidence received since the last denial in December 1993. The claims are now pending for further review.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim of residuals of tonsillitis, as there is no indication that the Veteran currently has any residual symptoms from his service-connected tonsillitis.,Service connection for tinnitus was also denied due to a lack of current evidence linking the condition to service or a service-connected disability. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen this claim.

The Veteran's claim for a noninitial rating in excess of 60 percent for chronic bronchitis was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on his pulmonary function test results, which showed FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC percentages within normal ranges.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder was granted. The claims for tinea pedis, respiratory disability (including chronic bronchitis, COPD, and other respiratory pathology related to pulmonary eosinophilic granulomatosis and obstructive sleep apnea), foot disability other than tinea pedis, upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, and right knee disability are still pending and need further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acute bronchitis, also claimed as a respiratory disorder, is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between his COPD and in-service dust exposure.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various disabilities, including shoulder, right wrist, bilateral knee, shin splints, ankle, foot (pes planus), bronchitis, onychomycosis, and hearing loss have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for lumbar spine disability, headache disability, and PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete examination and for a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's bronchitis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for vision disability, increased rating for IBS, and effective dates for TDIU and DEA eligibility are all denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for his vision disability or an increase in his IBS rating.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder and increased rating for chronic bronchitis. The claims are being remanded to obtain medical records, Social Security Administration records, and an examination.