COPD decisions — 2015

The Board has granted the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his asbestos exposure during military service contributed to his cancer and COPD.

The Board finds that the Veteran's diagnosed COPD is not etiologically related to his military service, including exposure to asbestos, Agent Orange, or diesel fumes. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection for COPD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The scar to the right cheek was not rated higher than 10 percent, bilateral hearing loss was not rated higher than noncompensable prior to March 18, 2015, and there is no evidence of a direct or presumptive relationship between his claimed conditions and active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected pleural plaques due to asbestos exposure are not entitled to an increased evaluation, and his claim for TDIU is also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been withdrawn. The claims to reopen service connection for gouty arthritis, hypertension, depression and anxiety, neck disorder, back disorder, right elbow disorder, and breathing disorder (including asthma and shortness of breath) have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is service connected as secondary to his PTSD, which caused him to continue smoking for 42 years.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer, hypertension, COPD, and stroke are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year after his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and assigned disability ratings, finding that his conditions are not related to military service or any recognized exposure basis.

The Veteran's appeal is about whether his COPD was aggravated by his service-connected interstitial lung disease. The Board will seek an addendum opinion from the examiner who conducted the November 2012 VA examination to determine if it is at least as likely as not that COPD was aggravated beyond its natural progression due to the Veteran's now service-connected interstitial lung disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing a supplemental VA medical opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected idiopathic seizure disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a lung disability other than asbestosis, and that any COPD is not related to his service or caused by or aggravated by asbestosis. As such, the claim for service connection for a lung disability other than asbestosis is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including pneumonia, bronchitis, and COPD is being remanded due to uncertainty regarding her active duty training (ACTDUTRA) in Korea in 1990.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any respiratory disability, and providing an examination to address the etiology of his sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected nicotine dependence and COPD significantly contributed to his death from respiratory failure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, determining whether the Veteran was exposed to asbestos during service, and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his current sleep apnea and COPD are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, bilateral eye disability, chronic gastrointestinal disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support a finding of exposure to mustard gas or other presumptive conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining inpatient treatment records from Fort Hood and documentation of exposure to Agent GB during her service in Germany.

The Veteran's lung disability, including COPD, asbestosis and pleural plaques, is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to service or asbestos exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current respiratory disability, including COPD and asthma, did not begin in service or due to any disease, injury, or event during service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues related to service connection for COPD and heart disability, including a need for an addendum medical opinion regarding the relationship between current lung condition and asbestos exposure in service.