COPD decisions — 2018

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left hip disorder, right hip disorder, and COPD due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his COPD, OSA, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The VA will provide a new examination for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional records and further development of his case.

The Veteran's non-service-connected disabilities, including COPD and sarcoidosis, do not render him permanently and totally disabled for pension purposes prior to February 18, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have erectile dysfunction or COPD that is related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a lung disability, to include COPD, due to service, specifically his bout of pneumonia in 1965. The preponderance of evidence is against finding any connection between the Veteran's current lung condition and his military service.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or related to service-connected conditions. Service connection for the cause of death and DIC benefits were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia, but denied service connection for COPD and PTSD. The decision on COPD is based on direct evidence of a current disability without a link to service or herbicide exposure. For PTSD, the claim was reopened due to new evidence received after the initial denial, and service connection was established.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current COPD is not shown to be etiologically related to service, including as due to asbestos exposure. Therefore, the claim for service connection for COPD is denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, degenerative joint disease, bilateral hearing loss, COPD, carpal tunnel syndromes, and kidney failure. The evidence submitted since the final decisions raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD was not incurred or aggravated in service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for multiple myeloma was dismissed as he withdrew his claim.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which he attributes to exposure to asbestos and toxic chemicals during his military service. The case is being remanded due to the need to obtain STRs from the North Carolina National Guard and further examination of the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% since June 24, 2010.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for COPD. The claim remains pending.,Service connection for COPD was denied in a previous decision but reopened due to new evidence. The Veteran's COPD is not related to his military service.,The Veteran's TDIU rating appeal is moot as he already has a 100% disability rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's COPD was granted a 10 percent rating from February 9, 2012. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any period.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, but further development is needed before a decision can be made.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities and left upper extremity, emphysema, and COPD were not shown to be related to service or any presumptive exposure.,Service connection for asbestosis was denied due to lack of evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected lung cancer has caused or aggravated his COPD.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest due to COPD. The VA examiner found that the service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death or aggravate his COPD.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and verifying the Veteran's earlier period of active duty service. If these records show a respiratory diagnosis associated with asbestos exposure, an addendum VA medical opinion will be required to determine if any current diagnoses are related to in-service asbestos exposure.