COPD decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication due to claims of additional disabilities resulting from a 1986 esophagogastrectomy. The Veteran's OSA, COPD, asthma, depression, anxiety, and claudication are all found to be related to this surgery.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for COPD due to missing private treatment records and the need for a VA examination. The examiner will determine if the Veteran's COPD is related to his in-service exposure to hazardous chemicals.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability.,Burial benefits based on a service-connected death were denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's pulmonary disability, specifically whether it is related to service or asbestos exposure. An addendum opinion from a VA examiner is needed to address these issues.

The Veteran's respiratory disabilities, including COPD, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema, are related to his active duty military service. The VA medical opinion is inadequate for informed appellate review due to its focus on asbestos exposure rather than the in-service symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and to obtain service clinical records of the Veteran's inpatient treatment at Naval Hospital in Great Lakes, Illinois. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his lung or respiratory disorder, which includes chronic obstructive bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Board denied compensation for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his pneumonia, myocardial infarction, and COPD were not caused by VA medical care or treatment.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, residual of right shoulder contusion. The appeal was dismissed for PTSD and remanded for further evaluation on issues including left arm disability, COPD, and headaches.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for an increased rating for COPD because the Veteran opted to have his appeal docketed in the modernized review system (AMA), and thus, there are no allegations of errors of fact or law for appellate consideration under the legacy system.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to conflicting opinions on whether the Veteran's respiratory and hearing disabilities prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation. The case is being referred for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased disability ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical examination and needs further evidence regarding the Veteran's COPD and asthma.

The Veteran's skin disorder, including skin cancer, is being remanded for further evaluation due to new evidence received since the final July 2008 rating decision.,The Veteran's respiratory disorder, including COPD, and headaches are also being remanded as there may be a relationship with service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD and a disability manifested by blood clots in legs, finding that the evidence does not support a link to active service. The claims for PTSD, tinnitus, foot spurs, and lumbosacral spine disorder are remanded for further examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition, including bronchiectasis, asthma, and COPD, finding that there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD should be remanded due to a lack of a Statement of the Case (SOC) issued by the AOJ.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's COPD is related to his military service, specifically asbestos exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is being remanded due to a need for additional evidence and an opinion from a VA clinician regarding herbicide agent exposure. The appellant must also provide studies on the correlation between COPD and herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's COPD and OSA are being remanded for further development as the VA opinions obtained so far do not fully address all relevant evidence.,There is no indication of sleep problems in the Veteran's service records, but he contends that his current conditions are related to his service-connected PTSD, diabetes, and/or peripheral neuropathy.