Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to various pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including inadequate medical opinions and examinations.

The Board denied service connection for chronic bronchitis and granted a 10% disability rating for left hip strain, but did not find current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, peripheral vestibular disorder, a disability manifested by passing out, obstructive sleep apnea, migraine headaches, low back disability, psychiatric disorders, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating. The lung condition issue (COPD) and heart condition issue are both remanded for further development.

The Board has granted effective dates of March 30, 2021 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, CAD, bronchitis, and hypertension. The effective date is based on the date each claim was first raised by the Veteran.

The Board has granted presumptive service connection for COPD with chronic bronchitis based on exposure to burn pits, but has also remanded the case for a facts-found determination of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo, fibromyalgia, and headaches migraines have been dismissed as the conditions were granted in a March 2024 rating decision.,Service connection has been established for bilateral flatfoot, degenerative arthritis of the right foot, left hallux valgus, right hallux valgus, left plantar fasciitis, right plantar fasciitis, and degenerative arthritis of the left hand.

The Veteran's chronic bronchitis is remanded for further evaluation due to uncertainty regarding its pre-service status and the need for an addendum opinion.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bronchitis, hypertension, and a deviated septum as the appellant withdrew all his claims and appeals.

The Veteran's PTSD, hypertension, and OSA have been granted service connection. The remaining issues are being remanded for further development.,Service connection has been established for PTSD, hypertension, and OSA based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for alcohol dependency and tobacco dependency have been denied due to the absence of legal merit. The claim for chronic bronchitis is remanded.,Service connection will be granted if the evidence demonstrates that a current disability resulted from an injury or disease incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded the case for a posthumous medical opinion to determine if any of the Veteran's respiratory conditions, including allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, were related to service exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to conflicting opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected exposures and their current conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically regarding an inadequate VA medical opinion. The Veteran's respiratory conditions are being reviewed again with consideration of his military duties.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and vocational experience.

The Board has granted service connection for recurrent acute bronchitis, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran's condition was related to his military service. Service connection for a sinus disability was denied due to lack of evidence linking the current condition to service.

The Board has determined that the VA examination and opinion provided were not in compliance with the July 2023 remand directives. The Veteran's respiratory disability, including diagnosed asthma and/or COPD, is being remanded for additional development to determine if it was incurred in or caused by an in-service injury, illness, or event, including exposure to asbestos and/or exhaust fumes.

The appeal of the proposed reduction in the disability rating for service-connected lumbar degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome is dismissed. The Veteran's entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea with bronchitis is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic bronchitis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his time in Southwest Asia during military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant private treatment records. The Board will request these records and then readjudicate the cases.