COPD decisions — 2000

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings or service connection based on exposure to herbicide agents. The veteran's facial scars were rated as noncompensable, and his loss of teeth from the lower mandible was also rated as noncompensable. His claims for cardiac disease, pulmonary disease, and skin rash were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for cause of death due to smoking tobacco in service, finding no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's respiratory failure and congestive heart failure to tobacco use during service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for asbestosis and COPD, finding no current medical evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for skin rash, nasal irritation, joint and bone pain, and respiratory disorder are not well grounded as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service or undiagnosed illness.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not service-connected and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, PTSD, and back disability are denied. The Board found the evidence insufficient to establish a well-grounded claim for COPD due to Agent Orange exposure. However, the claims of PTSD and back disability were found to be well grounded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's nicotine dependence, which began in service and was a result of his smoking habit, contributed substantially to his cause of death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was due to service-connected conditions, specifically his COPD and ASHD. The VA medical expert concluded that nicotine dependence in service led to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are not well-grounded and have therefore been denied. The issue of compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is remanded to obtain additional information from the veteran.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not service-connected and denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the claim for educational assistance under Chapter 35.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of evidence linking his current conditions to military service. The COPD claim was not well-grounded, and the left knee and lumbar spine injury claims were found plausible with new evidence submitted.

The Board found that the COPD is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or disability, specifically tuberculosis. The veteran's claim for TDIU was also pending.

The veteran's tuberculosis and COPD have been granted service connection, with the effective date being from the date of diagnosis.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board denied the appellant's claim of service connection for COPD and emphysema, finding that there was no competent medical evidence showing a current disability or a nexus between any incident or event of service and treatment or diagnosis of a lung disorder.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim of service connection for the cause of her late husband's death is well-grounded, and VA has a duty to assist in developing facts relating to this claim. The RO should obtain a medical opinion to address the relationship between any conditions treated during service and the veteran's long history of smoking, which may have contributed to his death by COPD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic lung disorder is more likely than not related to pneumonia during service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board denied claims for service connection for COPD and asthma, a bilateral knee disorder, and the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his period of active service or exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death (respiratory failure due to COPD) was not related to service or any incident therein, including exposure to Agent Orange. The claim is denied.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, concluding that his symptoms were not due to service connection.