COPD decisions — 2017

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his respiratory, skin, and hypertension disorders.

The Board finds that the Veteran's death was caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to, a disability incurred in or aggravated by active service. The evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the cause of the Veteran's death (end-stage renal disease and end-stage COPD) is related to active service.,The Board finds that prostate cancer and its residuals were incurred in active service as due to in-service ionizing radiation exposure. The evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's in-service asbestos exposure caused his COPD.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to a lack of VA examinations, and the Veteran's competency in handling disbursement of funds.

The Veteran's bowel obstruction and COPD are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his military service, specifically his presumed exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed coronary artery disease and COPD are not related to his service or any service-connected conditions. The evidence does not show a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a respiratory disability, including upper respiratory infection, mycobacterium avium-intracellular infection, sleep apnea, COPD, and pneumonia. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or any incident during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and an examination, as well as to clarify the service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's lung disability, diagnosed as COPD, was found to be related to his military service and not due to exposure to herbicides or any other presumptive conditions.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and PTSD have been granted service connection, while COPD has not. The right ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD, claimed as due to asbestos exposure, was not present during service and is not related to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disorder is related to his active military service, while his PTSD claim cannot be established as it lacks credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability and/or otherwise attributable to his military service.

The Veteran's death was caused by pancreatic cancer, which is not service-connected. The Board finds that the Veteran's COPD and nicotine dependence did not contribute to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a pulmonary disability, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service, including in-service asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 9, 2004 for the award of service connection for status post lobectomy for lung cancer with COPD is being remanded due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the continuity of his lung cancer from June 9, 1994 to September 9, 2004.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the etiology of his claimed disabilities, specifically bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and COPD with chronic bronchitis.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is related to his exposure to cement dust and other construction materials in service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examinations and opinions regarding his respiratory disability and bilateral hearing loss. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the hearing loss claim.