COPD decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development and adjudication, including obtaining medical opinions to address the etiology of his claimed disabilities and verifying his service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's COPD and/or chronic obstructive lung disease, as well as whether it is related to his bronchitis or other respiratory conditions. The claim will be further evaluated based on this additional evidence.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection due to the appellant's death.

The Board has remanded the cases of malaria, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and bleeding ulcers for further development to obtain additional medical records and determine if there was asbestos exposure during service. The VA will also provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's lung condition is related to military service or treatment with quinine for malaria.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lung disorder, right hand condition, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left foot disability, and right foot disability due to issues with the factual predicate of previous opinions and potential new evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for service-connected bilateral hearing loss and left foot osteoarthritis, as well as his claims for service connection for asthma, chronic lung problems, COPD, Meniere's syndrome, and sleep apnea have been dismissed. The validity of the Veteran’s combined evaluation has also been dismissed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and lung disability (asthma and COPD) are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for sarcoidosis and service connection for COPD as secondary to sarcoidosis have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s sarcoidosis is inactive, with no signs or symptoms associated with it, and all respiratory issues are attributed to her nonservice-connected COPD.

Your claims for service connection have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The outcome of these claims may affect your SMC claim, so both are being reviewed together.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's squamous cell lung cancer and its relationship to his COPD. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his lung cancer.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for a respiratory disability, specifically COPD. The development includes verifying the Veteran's service aboard USNS Geiger and assessing any asbestos exposure during service. If confirmed, a VA examination will be scheduled to determine if there is a relationship between the current respiratory condition and service.

The Veteran's tinnitus, hypertension, and diabetes were granted service connection on an accrued basis. Bilateral hearing loss, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), and COPD were denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his pulmonary disease and TDIU claim due to conflicting medical evidence, unclear diagnoses, and the need for updated examinations.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected due to ischemic heart disease, but COPD and pulmonary hypertension were found. The Board denied service connection for the causes of death.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for a lung disorder is dismissed. His application to reopen the claim of service connection for a sinus disorder is granted, but he withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision on it. The Board also denied his claim of service connection for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to asbestosis exposure has been dismissed because the appellant passed away in April 2020.

The Board has remanded the claims for COPD, chronic kidney disease, and asthma due to a lack of compliance with previous directives. The Veteran's service records indicate he was an Atomic Demolition Munitions (ADM) specialist at Fort Belvoir from May 1969 until January 1970. VA must attempt to obtain any radiation exposure records for the Veteran and provide them to the Under Secretary for Health for a dose estimate.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a low back disability and respiratory disorder, including asthma and COPD, due to incomplete medical opinions addressing continuity of symptomatology and causation.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the Veteran's diagnosed COPD was not due to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's COPD may be related to his service, specifically his exposure to asbestos. However, due to insufficient information regarding this exposure, the case is being remanded for further development and a medical opinion.