Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, and bilateral otitis media. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are supported by STRs showing treatment during service and private medical opinions linking the conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for respiratory disabilities of interstitial lung disease and chronic bronchitis, finding that they were due to presumed Agent Orange exposure during active service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is rated at a 50% disability rating, effective September 2017. The Board found that the symptoms most closely approximated those of reduced reliability and productivity due to symptoms such as difficulty understanding complex commands, forgetting to complete tasks, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty establishing and maintaining effective work and social relationships.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to conflicting medical evidence and failure to comply with prior remand instructions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed left rotator cuff disability, left hip disability, and breathing disability. Service connection for headaches has been granted.

The Veteran's schizophrenia, bilateral eye disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, bilateral foot disorder, hypertension, and respiratory disorder (bronchitis) are all granted service connection. The initial higher rating claim for seborrheic dermatitis is also addressed in the remand section.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 40 percent, and a higher rating is denied.,The Veteran does not meet the auditory threshold criteria for right ear hearing loss for service connection purposes.,There is no evidence of chronic bronchitis during or within one year after service. Service connection for bronchitis is denied.,No in-service knee, shoulder, or back disability was found. Service connection for these disabilities is denied.,The Veteran's fibromyalgia is already service connected and does not preclude the granting of separate ratings for other joint conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disability and an increased rating for right ankle fracture due to inadequate reasons and bases in the previous decision, as well as the need for new medical opinions regarding the Veteran's exposure history and functional impairment.

A 70 percent rating for service-connected adjustment disorder is granted. The issue of service connection for PTSD is dismissed. The issue of service connection for bronchitis is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected left knee strain or bronchitis and COPD. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to address this issue.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment from May 21, 2009, until October 18, 2013.

The Board denied service connection for right leg disability, left leg disability, bronchitis, and abdominal/gynecological disorder. The decision also noted that the Veteran has a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent disabling from November 29, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for chronic bronchitis with asthma is being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding his use of a specific medication.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory disability, specifically sinusitis and bronchitis. The VA needs to obtain a medical opinion on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unemployable, and thus denied her claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung disorders, viral infection of the lungs, and bronchitis, finding no current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to his military service, including exposure at Camp Lejeune.,The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for a bilateral eye disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bronchitis has been dismissed. The Veteran was granted an initial 30 percent rating for hypothyroid endocrine dysfunction and a 10 percent rating for cholecystectomy. The cases of atopic dermatitis and rheumatoid arthritis are being remanded.

The Veteran's symptoms are accounted for by diagnosed conditions, and there is no basis for service connection based on undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, and COPD. The Board found that there is no evidence to support a link between her in-service viral infection and her current respiratory conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate August 2019 VA opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disorder, specifically asthma. The examiner did not consider the Veteran's credible assertions about his exposure to jet fuel and asbestos on the flight line during service.