COPD decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the adequacy of a previous VA medical opinion regarding aggravation of respiratory disabilities. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability as secondary to his service-connected disabilities is now before the Board.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's COPD and calcified granuloma, specifically whether it is related to his in-service exposure to asbestos as an electrician's mate aboard the U.S.S. Hunley.

The Board has remanded the claims for COPD, heart disability, right hand arthritis, and hepatitis C due to exposure during service. The Veteran's service records do not provide sufficient evidence on the claimed exposures.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed.,The Veteran's application to reopen his claims of service connection for COPD and Parkinson's disease due to herbicide exposure is granted.

The Veteran's pulmonary disability, including COPD and asbestosis, is being remanded for further evaluation due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory condition, including asbestosis and other respiratory conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a link to service or secondary to service-connected valvular heart disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for COPD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, a skin condition, and sleep apnea due to herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran is not provided with VA examinations as his diagnoses are current and he has provided sufficient evidence of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected COPD and PTSD have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since February 29, 2016. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined effects of these conditions.

The Veteran's COPD is granted as presumptively related to exposure to burn pits and other toxins during service, pursuant to the PACT Act. The issues of left shoulder condition and right foot condition are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to address his claims of service connection for a respiratory disability, including COPD and a disability manifest by the necessity for continuous supplemental oxygen, as well as an initial compensable rating for residuals of lung cancer and right lobectomy. The SMC claim based on need for regular aid and attendance is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for chronic sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, and COPD due to additional development being necessary. The Veteran's statements of symptoms during service are considered credible, and the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hepatitis and granted service connection for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (PTSD), COPD, and hepatitis C. The Board found that it is at least as likely as not that these conditions were incurred during service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the claims of right hip disability, residuals of head injury, COPD, and OSA.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory condition, specifically chronic bronchitis and COPD. The VA examiner was directed to consider the Veteran's statements about his symptoms during service and since service.

The petition to reopen the claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as schizophrenia, is granted. The claims of service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression, and COPD are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional private treatment records and a supplemental opinion regarding COPD.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and further development is needed. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus claim was denied, while his psychiatric disability, hearing loss, lung disability, hypertension, left leg disability, CVA residuals, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability claims are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to comply with prior remands, specifically regarding an extensive web search for medical literature submitted by the appellant in September 2011. The Veteran's representative also raised an alternative theory of entitlement based on service-connected schizophrenia causing tobacco use and subsequent respiratory disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for COPD and sleep apnea with COPD, as well as his TDIU claim prior to September 26, 2021, are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of the DLCO (SB) test and exercise capacity testing.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a respiratory disorder, including COPD, was denied as there is no current diagnosis of COPD.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis and nephrolithiasis were also denied due to lack of evidence supporting the required disability picture.