COPD decisions — 2020

The Veteran's cause of death is related to his in-service exposure to asbestos and environmental exposures in Southwest Asia, but the Board has not found service connection for these conditions due to lack of evidence. The case is remanded for further development regarding herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated during service and is unrelated to service.

The Veteran's service-connected COPD disability rendered him incapable of securing and following a substantially gainful employment from August 1, 1988.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic respiratory disorder, including COPD and middle lobe nodules and bronchitis (claimed as asbestosis), due to lack of evidence supporting asbestos exposure or asbestosis. The Board found that the Veteran's current condition is more likely caused by his smoking cigarettes and 30 years of working in a steel mill.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination addressing all theories of service connection for COPD, including non-asbestos exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD and bladder cancer, as well as the claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The cause of death claim is also remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a pulmonary disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between his current COPD and emphysema and his period of service.

The Board denied service connection for lung abscesses as there is no current diagnosis of the condition and insufficient evidence to link it to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD as secondary to inactive pulmonary tuberculosis, finding that there was no evidence linking the current disability to his service-connected condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory disability, specifically his exposure to asbestos, lead paint, and gun powder. The VA needs to provide an addendum opinion addressing these issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and asthma, finding that there is no current diagnosis of these conditions and that they are not related to service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including asbestosis and COPD, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or in-service occurrence or aggravation. The Board concluded that the Veteran did not meet the criteria to establish service connection due to lack of medical evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings of PTSD, COPD, and hypertension are dismissed. The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for male reproductive disorder (erectile dysfunction and low testosterone) due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and COPD, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service. Service connection was granted based on direct evidence of a relationship between the current disabilities and in-service exposure or injury.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, COPD (also claimed as asthma), and hepatitis B due to incomplete records. The Veteran's service treatment records were not obtained until January 2017.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for his COPD, finding that the evidence did not support such a higher rating based on the pre-bronchodilator FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC results.

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to new evidence received after the April 2017 SOC.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's cause of death to his active duty service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remands and requests for medical opinions. The claim will be reviewed again to determine if the Veteran's service-connected PTSD was related to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange, which may have caused or aggravated his COPD and pneumonia.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for emphysema due to asbestos exposure should be remanded for further development and examination.