COPD decisions — 2016

The Board denied the claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his death was not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease, lung disorder, and depression as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran's heart disease was not related to his near drowning episode in service, but is due to smoking history. His COPD is also due to smoking history. The Board found that the Veteran's depression is secondary to PTSD.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for COPD, but denied the claim of entitlement to service connection for asbestosis. The case is REMANDED for additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory conditions, including asthma, COPD, and bronchitis, did not manifest during service and are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current nasal disability and therefore, service connection for residuals of trauma to the nose is denied. For his lung disorder claimed as bronchial pneumonia, the evidence does not support direct service connection but also fails to establish any other theory of service connection such as secondary or presumptive due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for adjudicating the merits of the case.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that COPD was not related to his military service and ASHD did not aggravate it.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA pulmonary examination to determine if the Veteran's COPD is related to his military service, specifically exposure to herbicides such as Agent Orange.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found new and material evidence to reopen the claim for a thoracolumbar spine disability. The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed due to noise exposure during service, while his current respiratory conditions are linked to in-service symptoms of shortness of breath.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected schizophrenia did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denies the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board found that the Veteran's service connection claims for asbestosis, COPD, emphysema, and bronchitis were not supported by evidence of a current disability related to his military service. The VA examinations did not support a diagnosis of asbestosis or establish a link between any diagnosed conditions (COPD, emphysema, and bronchitis) and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a DRO hearing and conducting any necessary further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hemorrhoids, and COPD were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for any of these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for COPD in his June 2014 substantive appeal, leaving no issues remaining for the Board to consider.

The Board denied service connection for headaches, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and no nexus to service or any service-connected condition.,Service connection for COPD as secondary to sleep apnea was also denied. The examiner found the Veteran's COPD not related to his service-connected sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of visual impairment or disfigurement, and found that his symptoms are managed by daily use of medication. The claim for chronic fatigue syndrome was not granted as there is no underlying disease.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection have been denied. The Board found no evidence to support the claimed conditions or their relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is service-connected due to exposure to burn pits during his military service. The issue of a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability will be remanded.

The Board has ordered the Veteran's private treatment records to be obtained and a VA examination is scheduled. The claim will be remanded for further development regarding exposure to asbestos during service, as well as an evaluation of his current respiratory disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing at the RO. The claims of reopening service connection for respiratory and psychiatric disabilities, as well as seeking an initial disability rating for chronic sinusitis, are pending.