COPD decisions — 2004

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension at the housebound rate was granted effective July 11, 2000, based on his disabilities.

The Board found no evidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, or asbestosis in service and denied the claim based on lack of a nexus between current conditions and asbestos exposure.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension by reason of being in need of aid and attendance of another person due to his current physical condition, which allows him to dress, undress, attend to his wants of nature, and protect himself from daily hazards.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for asthma. The veteran's appeal must be reopened.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for cause of the veteran's death, finding no evidence linking the cause to his period of active duty service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current pleural plaque and emphysema/COPD are related to his asbestos exposure during military service, leading to a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the appellant's lung disability, diagnosed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with emphysema and interstitial fibrosis, is attributable to his period of active military service due to asbestos exposure during service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, finding no evidence of a chronic respiratory disorder during active military service and concluding that any current COPD is not related to military service.

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

The Board found that the veteran's COPD with emphysema is not service-connected due to its being attributable to tobacco use, and denied both issues on appeal.

The veteran claims service connection for COPD, which is related to a lung injury sustained in a motor vehicle accident. The case is being remanded for additional development and examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, COPD, a psychiatric disability, and hepatitis C. The claim for reopening of the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral ankle disabilities is also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current respiratory disability, including COPD, was incurred in active service and granted service connection for residuals of pneumonia.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection due to tuberculosis, COPD, and pneumonia. The appeal was dismissed as there is no legal basis for granting accrued benefits prior to June 22, 1998.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his disabilities, as they do not render him helpless or require assistance with daily activities.

The Board found that the veteran's current respiratory disorder and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated by service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The veteran seeks service connection for a pulmonary/respiratory disability, including bronchiectasis and COPD. The VA is remanding the case to obtain additional evidence from SSA and to provide the veteran with another opportunity to submit information or evidence pertinent to his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to by, a disability incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service.

The veteran is seeking service connection for COPD, which he claims was caused by exposure to phosphorous smoke during combat. The Board has decided that additional development is needed before deciding the merits of his claim.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound was denied due to his current disabilities not meeting the criteria for such benefits.