COPD decisions — 2003

The veteran died while hospitalized in a VA medical facility for worsening shortness of breath. The cause of death was attributed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and other conditions. The appellant is seeking compensation under the 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to her belief that the veteran's death was caused by VA treatment. The claim will be remanded for further development including obtaining medical opinions on causation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, sinusitis, allergic disorders, prostate gland disorder, hearing loss, and a lung disorder (COPD), all of which were found to be not related to his active military service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The veteran's lung disability, including COPD, is being remanded for additional development to determine if it is related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, chronic bronchitis, reactive airway disease, and asthma as these conditions are not related to his period of active duty service.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or being housebound was denied as there is no evidence that he requires such assistance.

The veteran's lung disorder, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema, is being remanded for additional development.

The Board denied service connection for post traumatic stress disorder and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The veteran's claim for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was denied as there is no evidence of asbestos exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that his service-connected residuals of pulmonary tuberculosis contributed substantially to cause his death.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding no competent medical evidence linking his terminal conditions to his active service.

The Board has determined that the appellant has submitted sufficient evidence to reopen his claim of service connection for a respiratory disorder, and the appeal will be granted to that extent. Further development of the evidence is required before readjudication can occur.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected PTSD and other conditions did not cause his death, but rather it was due to his non-service-connected heart disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his diagnosed condition and his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, residuals of a left wrist injury, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Service connection was denied for degenerative arthritis of the left hip, groin pull (claimed as groin disorder), arthritis (excluding left wrist and right foot), and skin rash classified as chronic, recurrent dermatitis mostly affecting the groin and lower abdomen.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for COPD as a result of cigarette smoking during active service and/or nicotine dependence acquired during active service, finding no evidence of inservice tobacco use or nicotine dependence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder, left fifth finger, and right knee disabilities. The right shoulder disability was rated as noncompensable due to painful range of motion with crepitus. The left fifth finger disability did not meet criteria for a compensable rating under current VA guidelines. The right knee disability received a 10 percent initial rating.

The Board found that the veteran's respiratory disorder, including COPD, did not start during service or due to service-connected PTSD. The claim was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression) and a respiratory disorder (to include COPD), finding no evidence of such conditions in service or related to service.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD with emphysema did not originate in service and denied his claim.

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

The Board found that the veteran was not exposed to ionizing radiation during service and his degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, with lumbosacral strain, and COPD are not related to service. The claims for service connection were denied.