COPD decisions — 2003

The veteran's claimed conditions were not found to be related to service, and thus his claims for service connection were denied.

The Board found that the veteran's chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema were not shown in service and were not caused by inservice exposure to asbestos, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The veteran's COPD was found to be related to service, and his bilateral leg and knee disorder is considered a residual of an in-service injury. The claims are granted.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not service-connected, and there is no evidence to support a claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits. The appellant did not provide sufficient evidence to establish radiation exposure or any other basis for service connection.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's cause of death was not related to his service-connected conditions, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found that the cause of death, arteriosclerotic heart disease, was not incurred in service and did not contribute substantially or materially to cause the veteran's death. The appellant's claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a chronic cardiac disorder, including cardiomegaly and hypertensive heart disease. The veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD is attributable to his tobacco use during service, specifically his long history of smoking 2-3 packs of cigarettes per day and a smoke inhalation injury in 1994.

The veteran does not have a chronic pulmonary disorder, including COPD and shortness of breath, as a result of VA treatment. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against his claim.

The VA denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that his death was not due to a condition attributable to tobacco use during service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected respiratory disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA).

The Board denied the claim for service connection for COPD and Arteriosclerotic heart disease, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and the veteran's military service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence showing a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by service caused the veteran's death.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board denied service connection for COPD as secondary to a service-connected disability and denied service connection for PTSD. The veteran's COPD was not found to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected residuals of a canister injury to the right interscapular region of the chest, and there is no evidence of record supporting a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board denied the claim as there was no evidence of nicotine dependence in service, and COPD did not result from tobacco use during military service. The cause of death was attributed to end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia.

The VA denied a compensable rating for the veteran's service-connected post-operative bilateral pneumothoraxes with emphysema and COPD, citing his FEV-1 of 84.6 percent of predicted value.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disorder on both direct and presumptive bases, including due to Agent Orange exposure. The evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening the claim or establishing service connection.