COPD decisions — 2021

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain the Veteran's service records, which may be related to his current lung conditions. The VA examiner will assess whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and evaluation, specifically requesting a VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's obesity and its relation to his service-connected disabilities, as well as whether his GERD is related to any of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for COPD, emphysema, and asthma due to the Veteran's death during the appeal process.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, to include as due to herbicide exposure (Agent Orange), due to insufficient information provided by the VA examiner in May 2020. The Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange while cutting vegetation with a machete during his time in Vietnam.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for asthma and COPD as they are related to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service. The case is sent back for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran’s cause of death to a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated during service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% and the appeal for an increased rating remains pending. The case has been remanded to obtain a VA examination regarding his COPD claim, as well as to address his TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including COPD and peripheral neuropathy, to include as secondary to herbicide agent exposure. The effective date of his total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also being remanded.