COPD decisions — 2015

The VA has acknowledged exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune but the Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer, degenerative bone disease (including spinal stenosis and cervical fusion), and COPD/emphysema are denied as there is no causal link between these conditions and the exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to a scheduling issue, and the Veteran's hearing is rescheduled.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from the September 2015 examiner, as the original opinions were inadequate and contradictory. The new opinion must address whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's cause of death was related to his military service or his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing medical records and a need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's death is being reviewed to determine if his service-connected conditions contributed substantially to his cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and considering all evidence of record.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder, to include congestive heart failure, and a respiratory disorder other than pulmonary asbestosis. The evidence did not support finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated in service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a pulmonary disease, including emphysema and asthma, which he claims was caused by pneumonia during his military service. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain records from the Air Force bases where the Veteran served.

The Board has granted a higher initial disability rating of 50 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms more nearly approximate occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has granted the reduction of the Veteran's disability rating from 100% to 10%, effective September 1, 2011. The Veteran is also rated for his COPD and rib pain resulting from his lung cancer surgery.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disabilities were not manifested in service and are unrelated to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and attempting to obtain private medical records from Dr. O.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability is found to have contributed substantially and materially to his death from complications of a right hip fracture, which was caused by a fall due to the Veteran's well-documented history of instability in the left knee. The Board finds that this condition played a substantial role in causing or contributing to the Veteran's death.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD did not manifest in service or is otherwise related to service, including exposure to asbestos or other contaminants. Therefore, the claim for service connection for COPD was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his disabilities.

The Veteran's squamous cell cancer of the vocal cord is related to herbicide exposure, and his COPD and hypertension are found to be secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's hypertension, with right renal artery stenosis (previously called hypertensive heart disease), is rated at 20 percent since October 14, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's causes of death, including heart and pulmonary disease, were proximately due or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and cold injury residuals. As such, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to his service-connected allergic rhinitis and/or asthma with COPD. The case is REMANDED for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's currently diagnosed sleep apnea and whether it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD and sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service or service-connected sinusitis.

The cause of death was due to aspiration pneumonia, with other significant conditions contributing. The Board found no service connection for any disability and thus denied the claim.