COPD decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and asthma, a respiratory disability manifested by bronchospasm, and emphysema are remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed pulmonary disabilities, specifically COPD and emphysema, which are related to service exposure. The VA needs to conduct a thorough examination to determine if these conditions are related to active service or any other factors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there was no evidence of a relationship between his current condition and his active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was reopened and granted. Service connection for COPD is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory disabilities and their relation to service, particularly asbestos exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for AML and COPD due to exposure to burn pits, as these matters were not fully addressed in previous VA opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed. The claims of COPD and a chronic respiratory disorder other than COPD were withdrawn by the Veteran, while his claims for tinnitus, low back disorder, PN of the RUE, LUE, RLE, and LLE were denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of evidence supporting an asbestos-related lung disorder and insufficient medical opinions regarding COPD and left axillary lymph node removal. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for his claimed conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for emphysema, COPD, and pneumonia due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board found that the Veteran's current lung disabilities are more likely related to his extensive smoking history rather than any in-service pneumonia.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of renal cancer, hypertension, and respiratory condition due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of clear evidence.

The Veteran's cause of death is due to cardiopulmonary arrest, hypertension, and COPD. The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions, including their relation to service and presumed herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's death and service connection claims due to an inability to retrieve documents submitted by the appellant. The appellant is given the opportunity to provide these documents in paper or readable CD format.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including as due to exposure to herbicides, asbestos, or lead paint. The issue of entitlement to TDIU was dismissed as moot since the Veteran is already receiving a 100% rating for major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, nerve damage, and systemic arthritis have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is reopened but denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tobacco use disorder and COPD due to issues with the medical opinions provided. The examiner is requested to address whether PTSD caused or aggravated the Veteran's tobacco use disorder, and if so, whether it also caused or aggravated his COPD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar strain and sprain, as well as her claim for COPD. The VA must obtain retrospective medical opinions regarding the severity of the lumbar condition prior to March 27, 2019, and an addendum opinion addressing whether COPD was caused or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder, sleep apnea with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, scars, tinnitus, history of basal cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of service-connected disabilities prior to November 24, 2008. As such, the Veteran is granted an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss effective from October 31, 2002, and entitlement to a TDIU prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the combined effect of COPD and asbestosis on the Veteran's employability. A new VA examination is needed to assess whether these conditions prevent the Veteran from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a respiratory disorder, right hip disability, and scar of the right hip are granted. The claim for an initial compensable rating for hypertension is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, COPD, and muscular dystrophy due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset or relationship to service.