COPD decisions — 2002

The VA determined that the veteran's death was not caused by VA care, and thus denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board denied the appellant's claim that her husband's death was caused by his service-connected conditions, finding no evidence linking the cause of death to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals found that the veteran's current respiratory disorder, including COPD, did not relate to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound. The underlying disease process that led to her husband's death was not related to his military service.

The Board dismissed the appellant's appeals due to his withdrawal of all his appeals before the Board.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding no evidence linking his death to his period of service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's COPD does not warrant a higher evaluation under either the old or new criteria, and thus grants an initial rating of 30 percent for COPD.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35, finding that COPD did not have a direct link to service or any other compensable condition.

The veteran's multiple health conditions, including bradycardia, coronary artery disease, hypertension, aortic valve replacement, joint disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and knee joint replacements, severe congestive heart failure, Alzheimer's with agitation features and dementia, render him in need of aid and attendance of another person and housebound. As such, the veteran is granted special monthly pension based upon the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or at the housebound rate.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, malaria, and a psychiatric disorder. The veteran's COPD was found unrelated to service, malaria was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the psychiatric disorder was also unrelated to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that no service-connected disability caused or contributed to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for carcinoma of the larynx and COPD, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or radiation exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and a pulmonary disease, to include emphysema or COPD, as secondary to his service-connected sinusitis. The Board found that there was no evidence of tinnitus in service and that the veteran's current condition is not related to his service-connected sinusitis.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not causally related to treatment received during his terminal period of hospitalization at the Dallas VAMC.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and eligibility for dependent's educational assistance, finding that the veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disability or due to tobacco use during service.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence linking the veteran's fatal respiratory disorders to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a pulmonary disorder, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to mustard gas exposure. The evidence did not support the veteran's claims of full-body exposure to mustard gas in service or his history of mustard gas exposure.

The veteran's service-connected respiratory disability is of such severity as to preclude him from securing and following any form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience. With resolution of reasonable doubt in the veteran's favor, a total compensation rating based on individual unemployability is granted.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his cause of death, which was due to myocardial infarction and metastatic carcinoma and COPD. The Board concluded that there is no medical relationship between such disabilities and the cause of death.

The Board determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for COPD due to exposure to aviation fuel fumes and/or mustard gas was denied as there is no evidence of such exposure in his records, and the medical evidence does not support a finding of service connection.