Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2024

The Veteran's bronchial asthma with bronchitis is now rated at 100 percent effective from November 3, 2020. The initial rating for allergic rhinitis remains noncompensable prior to that date and 10 percent thereafter.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic bronchitis but denied service connection for photophobia. The Veteran's chronic bronchitis is related to his military service, while the evidence does not support a finding of current photophobia disability.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed because the April 2022 rating decision was not a valid decision and did not provide notice of its contents to the Veteran. The August 1997 rating decision remains the most recent prior decision on these issues.

The Veteran's COPD and chronic bronchitis are granted service connection, but his bilateral hearing loss is denied a compensable rating.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for asthma, bronchitis, COPD, pneumonia, and skin cancer as untimely due to failure to file a timely Notice of Disagreement within one year of receiving the August 2, 2023 rating decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lung disability, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current lung conditions and his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for various disabilities, but has remanded them for further development and examination to determine their etiology.

Your appeal of the denial of service connection for chronic bronchitis has been dismissed. You have withdrawn your appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including a neck disability, left shoulder disability, right paresthesias, left paresthesias, [residual(s) of] acute bronchitis, and bilateral knee disabilities. The evidence does not support the presence of these conditions during or shortly after service.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for chronic bronchitis due to exposure to burn pits during active duty in Southwest Asia. The Veteran's current diagnosis is chronic bronchitis, and he was exposed to burn pits while serving in Kuwait. However, the VA examinations did not consider all potential exposures, including fine particulate matter from other sources.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic bronchitis and COPD were initially manifested during active service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for chronic bronchitis and headaches are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. A new VA examination is needed to assess the severity of his conditions, including PFT results.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's request to withdraw all pending appeals.

The appeal for service connection for heart disease, including ischemic heart disease is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for a respiratory condition claimed as chronic bronchitis is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for non-allergic rhinitis, obstructive sleep apnea with insomnia and bronchitis, migraine headaches, and a skin disorder in the area of face, head, and back have been granted. However, his claim for service connection for migraine headaches is remanded due to the need for a VA toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) examination under the PACT Act. The claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea with insomnia and bronchitis as secondary to service-connected sinusitis are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cataracts, sleep apnea syndrome, and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient competent medical evidence on file.

The Veteran's bronchitis and restrictive lung disease are granted as service connected due to exposure to burn pits during his military service in Iraq.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis and right big toe trauma have been denied. The Veteran also has a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and the claim for an increased rating for tinnitus remains at its maximum allowable level.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine condition is not related to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied her claim for service connection. The gastrointestinal, upper respiratory, knee, hip, and foot disabilities are remanded due to inadequate examination and opinion.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for all issues related to service connection, as the Veteran did not timely file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) or use the proper form for her claims.