COPD decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are less likely related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a failure to obtain Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board has found that the Veteran's OSA and related conditions are not related to his active duty service, while his heart condition, hypertension, and other claimed conditions lack sufficient evidence of a nexus to his military service.

The Veteran's COPD was not incurred in or related to service, including his exposure to asbestos. The Board found the evidence did not support a finding of service connection.

The claims of entitlement to service connection for bronchitis and stomach ulcers have been reopened, and the appeals are granted. The remaining issues remain in remand status.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeals for tinnitus and earlier effective date. Service connection for coronary artery disease is granted, but the case is remanded to obtain an opinion on whether COPD is related to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for COPD and other respiratory disorders. The claim is expanded to include any respiratory condition, including COPD.

The Veteran's respiratory condition, including COPD and OSA, is rated at 30 percent from April 28, 2011, and at 50 percent from May 14, 2019. The right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 10 percent. Other issues related to service connection or disability ratings are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease secondary to hypertension is granted. The claim for service connection for COPD is remanded.

The Board has decided that the appellant's claim for service connection for COPD should be remanded due to incomplete medical records from Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The claim of service connection for OSA is reopened due to new and material evidence. The issues of rating PTSD, service connection for COPD, and service connection for OSA are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any respiratory disability shown during the appeal period, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board dismissed all appeals as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's death was not caused by service or a service-connected disability. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is also denied.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected asthma. Other conditions are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection for asbestosis. The Veteran served in the Navy and claims exposure to asbestos, which may have caused his COPD and asbestosis.

The Board denied service connection for asbestosis due to a lack of evidence showing current asbestosis and the absence of an etiological link.,Service connection is remanded for COPD, with a need for clarification on whether the Veteran was exposed to asbestos during active duty.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as COPD, CHF, and cirrhosis. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of CAD at the time of his death, which is not service-connected due to lack of evidence. DM was also noted but deemed not contributing to death. The Board concluded that there is no competent medical evidence linking any of these conditions to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of August 27, 2007 for the award of service connection for asbestosis. The Veteran's claim was pending since his last final denial in June 2006 and he filed a new claim on that date.

The Veteran's son, S.M., is granted status as a dependent with the Appellant’s award of dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) benefits based on his status as the helpless child of the Veteran.