COPD decisions — 2021

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lung disability, finding that there was not enough evidence to show it was incurred in or caused by his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for COPD, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and hypertension due to incomplete personnel records from his service. The VA is instructed to attempt to obtain these records and schedule examinations to determine if the conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to ensure proper development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee strain, COPD, and service connection for a back disability. The previous examinations are inadequate and further examination is required.

The Board has found that the Veteran's COPD and OSA are not service-connected due to his service-connected sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, tinnitus, or depressive disorder. The case is being remanded for further development.

The VA denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of COPD, finding that his condition did not manifest within one year after separation and was not causally related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD has been denied, and the Board has found that there is no evidence of a causal relationship between his current GERD disability and active service. The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD remains pending due to insufficient development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for COPD, hypertension, and asbestosis due to new evidence received since the last final decision.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the VA treatment from May 30 to June 6, 2013 did not cause his additional disabilities. The Board found no reasonable possibility that obtaining a medical opinion would aid in substantiating the claim.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's COPD is related to his active service, but needs further evidence and an opinion from a pulmonologist.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disability, sleep apnea, residuals of traumatic brain injury, tuberculosis, COPD, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also denied a higher rating for PTSD prior to April 28, 2016, and an effective date earlier than April 28, 2016 for the grant of TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete examination opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory disorders, specifically his preexisting asthmatic bronchitis and its progression during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent prior to November 17, 2016 and at 40 percent from October 30, 2019. The claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss prior to November 17, 2016 is denied.,The Veteran's COPD warrants a 30 percent disability rating throughout the period on appeal.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, hypertension, and COPD were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.,Service connection was denied for all three conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including asbestosis, COPD, and bronchiectasis, finding that there was no evidence of asbestosis in his medical records. The Board also found that the Veteran’s current lung conditions were not caused by asbestos exposure during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including asthma and COPD, as these conditions are not secondary to his service-connected allergic rhinitis.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that his current lung condition is related to his military service. The decision also found that there is at least equipoise evidence regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by service, a service-connected disability, or any carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA. Therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal as he died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of the Veteran's claimed exposure to chemicals at Fort McClellan, between July 1975 and September 1975.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's respiratory condition, specifically related to alleged CS gas exposure during service.