COPD decisions — 2020

The Veteran's respiratory condition, including emphysema and COPD, is found to be related to his military service. The heart condition is also found to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected mental health condition contributed substantially or materially to his death from COPD and CHF.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in obtained contract medical opinions, particularly regarding potential links between the Veteran's service and his death from metastatic melanoma. The examiner is required to address submitted literature and consider contributory causes of death as listed on the death certificate.

The Veteran's COPD is rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. His hearing loss of the left ear is also rated at non-compensable.,The Veteran has been found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities from October 20, 2010 to October 8, 2013 and this TDIU status is granted.,Right knee condition and left ankle condition are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's respiratory conditions are related to service exposure.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for esophageal cancer, COPD, SMC based on need for aid and attendance, and TDIU as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an adequate medical opinion regarding the cause of death, specifically whether the Veteran's COPD was related to his military service and/or his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death and assigning greater probative weight to medical evidence.

The Veteran's left knee disability is not service-connected, and the Board has remanded for further development.,The Veteran's COPD may be service-connected if VA can establish a link to his in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a respiratory disorder, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link between his current COPD and his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for chronic left Achilles tendonitis, residuals of pneumonia with left lower lung scar and COPD, and TDIU due to missing private records from Kaiser Permanente. The Appellant must be notified about the availability of these records.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, COPD, and a bilateral elbow disability due to presumed herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there is no evidence linking his military service to his cause of death (pneumonia due to end-stage COPD). The Board considered all relevant medical opinions and found them insufficient to establish a nexus between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his death.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and hypertension, finding that the conditions were not caused or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The effective date of a 100% disability rating for PTSD was also denied.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and coronary artery disease are granted service connection due to herbicide exposure at Fort Gordon.,Service connection for a respiratory disability is denied as the evidence does not indicate it was incurred in active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with a previous remand directive and needs additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's mild restrictive lung disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and bronchitis due to a lack of medical opinion addressing his in-service exposure to inhalants. The Veteran is encouraged to provide any additional records from Dr. C.K.T.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of a VA examination and insufficient evidence. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents, but his bronchiectasis is not presumptively related to such exposure.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the Veteran's asthma pre-existed service and was not aggravated by active duty. The Board also found against service connection for COPD due to lack of evidence showing it existed prior to service or being related to exposure during service.