COPD decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disability, joint pain, headaches, and sleep apnea were not causally related to his military service or any other known clinical diagnosis.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for emphysema, which he claims was caused by in-service exposure to asbestos. The Board has decided that an additional medical opinion is needed and the case is being remanded.

The Veteran's COPD was not incurred in service and is considered to be due to the use of tobacco products. Service connection for asthmatic bronchitis is also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a failure to appear at the scheduled hearing. The case will be returned for further appellate consideration.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lung disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by military service.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sinusitis and COPD with emphysema are not related to his service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a review of his claims by the VA examiner and an addendum medical statement addressing the etiology of his COPD. The TDIU claim will also be considered.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, which he claims is related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during his active duty. The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining VA treatment records, obtaining vocational rehabilitation records, and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, bilateral shoulder disability, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and sinusitis as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination to address the etiology of the Veteran's lung cancer and COPD.

The Veteran's depression is found to be secondary to his service-connected right orchiectomy. His hearing loss, COPD, left wrist fracture residuals, scar from cyst removal, allergic rhinitis, and rhinoplasty/septoplasty are all rated at the lowest possible level (0%) due to their current severity.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, residuals of a stroke, COPD, an eye disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome, and dyslexia. The decision also found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD is not causally or etiologically related to his military service, including any exposure to solvents, chemicals, and fumes. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a pulmonary disorder, atrial fibrillation, and bilateral hearing loss have been denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of chronic symptoms during service or a link to Agent Orange exposure.,There is no direct evidence linking any current diagnoses to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and COPD, finding that there was no evidence of a pre-service diagnosis or an increase in severity during service. The appeal was also found to be untimely.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and established a 20 percent evaluation for the Veteran's left ankle strain. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss, pulmonary disorder, right foot bunion, left foot bunion, right hand disorder, right CTS, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's COPD and pulmonary emphysema were not etiologically related to active service. The Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of PTSD at any time during the pendency of the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and likely etiology of his claimed conditions, including asbestosis, COPD, emphysema, and bronchitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially to his death. The claim will be returned for further development.