COPD decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for headaches. The claim for a more than 10 percent rating for tinnitus is denied, and the claims for respiratory disability and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to insufficient evidence. TDIU remains pending.

The Board has granted the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that his type II diabetes mellitus contributed to his death from COPD and congestive heart failure. The Board considered all evidence including medical records and opinions.

The Board has granted an effective date of January 1, 2011 for the award of DIC based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death. The appeal is remanded to obtain a medical opinion regarding the appellant's need for regular aid and attendance during the period from January 1, 2011 through May 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his death. The VA will need to further develop information about the Veteran's work history and exposure to asbestos before and after service.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine the cause of the veteran's COPD, including his in-service exposure to jet fuel and caustic acid. The case is being remanded for an addendum opinion from a clinician.

Service connection for a low back injury and arthritis is denied.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure in the Korean DMZ is denied.,Service connection for a sinus condition and COPD (claimed as asthma) due to herbicide exposure in the Korean DMZ is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension and a pulmonary condition (claimed as mesothelioma, asbestosis, bronchiectasis, and COPD) have been reopened. The claim for service connection for DM has been remanded.,Service connection for the claimed pulmonary condition is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to in-service exposure or service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lung condition, including COPD, finding that there was no evidence of any respiratory disability during service or within one year after separation. The Board also found that the Veteran's current COPD is not related to his active duty service, including any claimed exposure to asbestos.

The Board denied service connection for COPD as the evidence does not support a finding that it began during active service or is related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation is remanded due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was caused by an inhalation injury in service.

The Veteran's cause of death was not due to a service-connected disability, and his service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's tinea pedis and unguium were granted a 60 percent rating effective September 19, 2016. The appeal is remanded for further development.,COPD and variously diagnosed psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression) are also being remanded.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his service-connected conditions and his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, COPD, and PTSD with depressive disorder NOS due to lack of proper appeal action on these issues. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for COPD as secondary to service-connected pneumothorax residuals is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sleep apnea are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Board finds that the record does not contain adequate VA examinations addressing whether his current COPD was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected lung cancer, and whether his sleep apnea had its onset during active military duty.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's COPD is related to asbestos exposure in service. The claim will be reviewed again with a new opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand and grants service connection on a presumptive basis. The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected back condition contributed to his death from congestive heart failure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis, COPD, heart disease, and sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence in the record. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain private treatment records from Dr. S.M., provide the Veteran with another opportunity to submit additional evidence, schedule a VA examination, and adjudicate the claims.