COPD decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD and sinus bradycardia/tachycardia, both related to the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease. The Veteran needs to be scheduled for VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims of increased rating for asthma and entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) are being remanded due to conflicting opinions regarding the severity of his service-connected asthma and whether he has a separate diagnosis of COPD.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance of another person or by reason of being housebound was denied as he did not meet the criteria due to his service-connected disabilities, which included dementia, chronic renal failure, seizures, atrial fibrillation, COPD, and ileostomy.

The Veteran's cause of death, adenocarcinoma of the gall bladder Stage IV, is not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and denied service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding medical records and incomplete information regarding the Appellant's income and expenses. The Veteran died from respiratory failure due to end-stage COPD, but VA has not obtained all relevant medical evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD as the evidence does not show it began during service or is otherwise related to service.

The appeal for an effective date earlier than July 29, 2015, for award of service connection for lumbar spine DJD and left lower extremity radiculopathy is dismissed.,The claim of service connection for calcified pleural plaques, calcified granulomas, and COPD (claimed as lung condition) due to asbestos exposure has been reopened. The appeal is granted to this extent.,Issues regarding PTSD and depression are remanded for further evaluation.,Entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) is also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of records. The heart disability claim is related to presumed exposure to herbicide agents, while the respiratory disability claim may be related to such exposure as well.

The Board has granted service connection for bronchitis and COPD, finding that the Veteran's exposure to burn pits in Vietnam likely caused his respiratory conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, including potential service connection for his cause of death as a surviving spouse.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for COPD has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals in August 2019.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for a lung disability is granted. The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted, allowing the case to proceed on its merits. However, the case must be remanded as there are unresolved issues regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current respiratory disorders.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hypertension, acid reflux disease, and COPD as inextricably intertwined with the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The AOJ must reschedule VA examinations to assess the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for congestive heart failure, emphysema, COPD, and asthma due to a lack of STRs and outstanding VA treatment records. The Veteran's exposure during service is unclear as his DD214 does not reflect service in Korea or foreign service. A VA examination will be scheduled.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung disorder, diagnosed as COPD, is related to his service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his service-connected conditions contributed to or aggravated his ulcerative colitis, leading to his death. The DIC claim will also be remanded for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD, but denied service connection for BPH.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for lumbosacral strain service connection is denied.,Service connection for left hip condition and respiratory condition (COPD) are both denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the left tongue base was caused by HPV contracted during active service, and therefore grants DIC based on service connection for the cause of death.