COPD decisions — 2008

The Board found that the evidence submitted did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim of service connection for cause of the veteran's death, and thus denied the request to reopen.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current COPD due to service or undiagnosed illness, and any asbestos exposure is not shown to be related to his present condition. The claim for service connection for COPD is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection on appeal due to additional development being necessary, including obtaining VA examination reports and medical records.

The Board denied service connection for anxiety disorder/major depressive disorder, back disorder, and COPD/emphysema as there was no evidence of a current disability or in-service event that could be linked to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's dyspnea and PTSD were not incurred or aggravated by service, including exposure to herbicides. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The VA determined that the veteran's current lung disease, other than a right lung granuloma, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's COPD and residuals of a spontaneous pneumothorax.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a lung disorder, finding no competent medical evidence linking his current diagnoses of COPD and bronchitis to service or exposure to asbestos in service.

The Board denied service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in December 1998. The veteran's new and additional evidence is not considered material, thus the claim to reopen the case remains denied.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated by active military service, including as due to inservice exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service medical records and a need for a VA examination to determine if COPD is related to service.

The Board denied all claims for service connection, finding no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's claimed conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the veteran's liver cancer and lung cancer, including any connection with Agent Orange exposure or other conditions, contributed to his death.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection due to new and material evidence, including a medical opinion linking his current COPD to exposure to coal dust during service. The Board then granted service connection based on this evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, and for earlier effective date for the award of a TDIU. The claim for service connection for disability claimed as due to Agent Orange exposure is pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's restrictive airways disease is not related to his service, and therefore denied this claim. The veteran was granted a 70 percent rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder (Anxiety, Major Depression, PTSD).,The veteran's mental health condition includes anxiety, major depression, and PTSD, with symptoms such as irritability, impaired impulse control resulting in threatened violence, hypervigilance, panic attacks, and nightmares.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD as secondary to the veteran's service-connected non-small cell carcinoma of the left lung. The claim for a compensable rating for the non-small cell carcinoma of the left lung is denied.

The VA medical opinion concluded that the veteran's service-connected schizophrenia did not cause or contribute to his death due to hypertension and COPD, which were noted in the ICU following resuscitative efforts with sympathomimetic agents.

The Board found no evidence of asbestos-related lung disease in service and concluded that the veteran's current respiratory conditions are not related to his military service, including any claimed asbestos exposure.