COPD decisions — 2004

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for lung disease, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for emphysema with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange, finding no positive association between such exposure and the development of these conditions.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and information regarding his employment status.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for asthma and is now addressing whether he should be granted service connection for a respiratory disability other than asthma. The veteran's new medical records suggest that his current COPD may be related to his military service, which could potentially support his claims.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, as well as increased ratings for tension headaches with associated migraine features and allergic rhinitis are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected Generalized Anxiety Disorder contributed to his malnutrition, which in turn caused his death from sepsis due to bilateral pneumonia as a consequence of COPD.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD as secondary to the veteran's service-connected left pleural cavity injury.

The veteran's claims for service connection for emphysema, asthma, and COPD are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and a VA examination.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and accrued benefits, finding that COPD did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence demonstrating a causal relationship between his military service and his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for depression and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, finding no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his period of active service. The veteran's current hearing loss was also not found to warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for arthritis of multiple joints. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the veteran did not timely perfect an appeal on his claims for staged increased ratings for arteriosclerotic heart disease, special monthly compensation based on housebound status, and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between his current disability and any incident of service.

The Board found that the veteran's death in November 2001 was not caused by or contributed to by any service-connected disability, and thus denied both the claim for service connection for cause of death and the accrued benefits claim.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of COPD, tinea pedis, and a chip fracture of the left ankle were denied. The claim to reopen his frostbite of the feet was granted, but he did not receive a compensable evaluation for hearing loss or service connection for a left knee disorder.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected COPD, effective from when it was initially assigned in February 2004.

The Board found no evidence linking the cause of the veteran's death to his service, including malaria. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease, bladder cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with granulomas of the lungs. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for a respiratory disorder, including bronchitis and COPD. The evidence submitted did not provide new and material information linking these conditions to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD is not related to his in-service asbestos exposure and denied service connection for this condition.