COPD decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including hip disabilities and psychiatric disorders, have been reopened. The cases are remanded to determine the appropriate service connection based on new evidence.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss and increased evaluations for diabetes mellitus. The claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction is granted, but only as secondary to diabetes mellitus and/or PTSD.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his active military service.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for COPD and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss remains on appeal. The RO has assigned a 10 percent rating effective June 17, 2015 for the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for a respiratory disability including COPD secondary to asbestos exposure is remanded as he has not been afforded a VA examination in this regard.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a skin disorder, including as due to exposure to herbicides, is dismissed. The Board also denied the claim of service connection for COPD, including as due to exposure to herbicides.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inconsistencies in medical findings regarding the level of COPD prior to May 20, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected COPD is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and clarification of his respiratory diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for further medical opinions regarding service connection, TDIU, and cause of death. The Veteran's radiculopathy is presumed secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. Cause of death may be related to COPD or psychiatric disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a respiratory condition, including lung scarring, asthma, and COPD, due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The case will be reviewed with updated treatment records and a new examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to verify the Veteran's claimed asbestos exposure during service and to obtain relevant medical records. The case is remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to COPD, CAD, and PVD. However, there is no evidence linking these conditions to his service or any presumptive exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand. The Board found the medical opinions speculative and insufficient to establish a link between the Veteran’s service and his death.

The Board vacated its previous decisions on several issues, including service connection for allergies and diabetes mellitus, increased ratings for tinnitus and alopecia areata, and earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for alopecia areata and tinnitus. The decision also remanded claims for hearing loss and COPD.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's respiratory disability, including COPD, is related to his service due to asbestos exposure. However, further examination and opinion are needed as previous opinions were not thorough enough.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but denied service connection for COPD. Bilateral hearing loss is related to noise exposure in service, while COPD is not related to any injury or disease during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's COPD and Agent Orange exposure. The claim will be reconsidered with a medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and COPD. The claims will be reviewed with additional medical opinions to consider the evidence of ongoing damage from acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, COPD, OSA, and gastrointestinal disorder have all been denied. The effective date for the award of service connection for tinnitus has also been denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected, and a 10 percent rating for COPD with Interstitial Lung Disease is granted effective from April 6, 2018.,Increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss are denied.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for service connection for various conditions, including amyloid myopathy (also claimed as polymyositis), COPD, foot drop, rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, and spine disorders. The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to address the etiology of these conditions due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient medical evidence. He will be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his respiratory disorder, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has determined that the VA examination conducted in June 2016 was inadequate for rating purposes and requires a supplemental addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's COPD is related to her service or exposure to Agent GB.