COPD decisions — 2021

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral foot disability and remanded other claims due to outstanding VA treatment records and need for clarification on medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current lung conditions and active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of COPD, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or herbicide exposure. The preponderance of the evidence suggested that his COPD was due to smoking history.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the appellant is a proper substitute for the Veteran's claim, and also needs clarification on whether she bore the expense of last sickness and burial.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic respiratory disorder, finding that the Veteran's current respiratory disorders are not related to his active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for COPD (claimed as asthma) in a February 2008 rating decision, finding that the correct facts were before the adjudicator and the law was correctly applied. The Veteran sought revision based on CUE but the Board found no evidence of CUE.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory disability, cataracts, and lower extremity arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory disability, specifically chronic bronchitis and COPD. The examiner is requested to provide an etiology opinion regarding whether these disabilities are related to military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's lung disabilities and their connection to service, particularly his service-connected pleural thickening and/or plaques.

The Veteran's cause of death, COPD, is presumed to have been caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. Service connection for both conditions is granted.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's current condition to his military service or in-service exposure to asbestos. The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a relationship between the Veteran's COPD and his time in service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bronchitis, asthma, COPD, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy have been granted. The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examination opinions and incomplete development regarding herbicide exposure. The claims will be further developed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in service, which could affect his claims for heart disabilities, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, bronchitis (including asthma), and GERD due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Specifically, the Veteran's current respiratory disabilities were not shown to have had their onset in service or be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the hypertension claim. Service connection was also denied for chronic respiratory disorder, GI disorder, and OSA due to lack of in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death due to asbestos exposure in service, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's respiratory disorder to his service or to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to coal dust and toxic fumes. The decision resolves all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, bronchial asthma, and COPD due to incomplete development of records from the U.S. Marshal Service.

The Board has remanded the claims for lung disorder and heart disorder due to potential issues with causation and aggravation, as well as a need for additional medical opinions.