Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2021

The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's representative withdrew the issues of service connection for sinus bradycardia, bronchitis, dizziness, and headaches. As a result, there are no remaining issues to be decided by the Board.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension, cerebrovascular accident (ischemic stroke), and erectile dysfunction due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during service. The respiratory disability claim remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right leg injury, bronchitis, residuals of a deviated septum surgery, short-term memory loss, and left hand numbness are denied. The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for an eye condition.,Service connection is being granted for posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) with cataracts based on November 2019 VA examination findings.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, rhinitis, bronchitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as secondary to his service-connected asthma.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions and a need for a VA examination by a pulmonologist. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) during service, but not to gunpowder residue.

The Veteran's COPD with chronic bronchitis and recurrent pneumonia was granted a 60 percent rating prior to August 7, 2019, and a 100 percent rating from August 7, 2019 forward. The Veteran also received a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for chronic bronchitis is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining more recent private treatment records and scheduling a respiratory examination during an active phase of his service-connected bronchitis.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for respiratory, bronchial, migraine headaches, and throat disabilities due to secondary service-connected sinusitis or allergic rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to asbestos during service, and a VA examination is needed to determine if any diagnosed respiratory condition (including COPD, asthma, and bronchitis) are etiologically related to service.

Your appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bronchitis have been dismissed because the appellant requested to withdraw his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for bronchitis. The cases of chronic fatigue, hypertension, and disability manifested as chronic pain of the bilateral extremities are remanded due to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's respiratory disability, including bronchitis and asthma, has been rated at 60 percent since August 4, 2010. The Board found that the evidence did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating of 100 percent due to lack of specific findings such as FEV-1 less than 40 percent predicted value or FEV-1/FVC less than 40 percent.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of various conditions, including left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, neck condition, skin condition, residuals of bronchitis, and respiratory condition. The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for rhinitis is being remanded.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with its remand instructions and thus the claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder and an ovarian cyst are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis, finding that there is no competent evidence linking his current diagnosis to his in-service exposure or any other in-service injury, event, or disease. The Board gave more probative weight to a March 2021 VA examiner's opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a VA examination to determine if any of his claimed disabilities are related to his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at Fort McClellan, Alabama.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, glaucoma, and bronchitis are being remanded due to the need for additional development. His GERD rating is also being remanded as his last VA examination was in February 2012.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology and nature of the Veteran's COPD and other respiratory disorders. The matter is being returned for further development and readjudication.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals as he withdrew all his pending appeals through his authorized representative.