COPD decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for COPD service connection is denied as the newly received service treatment records did not provide new facts that were used in awarding service connection.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for COPD is being remanded due to the grant of service connection for asbestosis and the need for additional medical examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lung disorder, diagnosed as COPD, is not related to his military service. The claim for asbestosis was denied due to lack of evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory/lung disorder, including due to Agent Orange exposure. The evidence did not establish that his current respiratory or lung impairment was related to his military service, especially given his presumed exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's respiratory symptoms have been disassociated from his service-connected asbestosis, and the evidence does not support a compensable rating for asbestosis.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The case is therefore REMANDED.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional service personnel records and medical records, conduct a VA examination, and determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have been incurred during active service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The claims for pulmonary disorder (including asthma and COPD) and skin disorder are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a respiratory disorder, diagnosed as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary emphysema. The Board has determined that the claim must be remanded due to incomplete records and need for further development regarding in-service exposure.

The Veteran was granted service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to asbestos exposure during active duty.,Service connection for residuals of a stroke, claimed as transient ischemic attack (TIA), is pending and requires further development.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's lung cancer and death were not related to military service, including exposure to herbicides. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of death was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lung disorder, finding no evidence of direct service connection and noting that his current lung disorders were not shown to have pre-existed his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of all respiratory diseases and failure to obtain private treatment records from the Veteran's employment at Silver Dollar City.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD is not related to service, including exposure to asbestos in service. As a result, service connection for COPD was denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD. The case is being remanded due to the need for a complete VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current respiratory condition and military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's COPD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and it may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The negative service treatment records, lack of continuity of symptomatology for five decades after separation from service, and the uncredibility of lay statements regarding asbestos exposure are against granting service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claims for service connection based on asbestos exposure and herbicide exposure.

The service-connected diffuse interstitial fibrosis (asbestosis) contributed to the Veteran's death from respiratory failure, liver failure, and acute renal failure. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death based on this finding.