COPD decisions — 2023

Entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for COPD with asthma prior to July 17, 2013 was denied.,Entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for COPD with asthma and OSA prior to December 22, 2021 was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for restrictive lung disease, obstructive lung disease, and sinusitis due to potential issues with medical opinions regarding their etiology. The claims will be further developed before being readjudicated.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to COPD and bronchitis, finding that these conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to his death. The Board also found no evidence suggesting that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand requests regarding a respiratory disability, specifically bronchitis. The Veteran's claim for service connection is now pending again.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of substantial compliance with prior remand orders, specifically regarding the Veteran's January 2022 VA opinion on COPD and herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding asbestos exposure during service, and for a medical opinion on the etiology of any respiratory disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to May 15, 2013.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary artery disease due to inadequate opinions provided in previous VA examinations. The Veteran asserts that his conditions are related to herbicide exposure during service, but the July 2021 opinion is based on an inaccurate factual premise regarding Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder manifested by coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, including COPD, emphysema, and asthma. The decision finds that the Veteran's current respiratory conditions are as likely as not related to his active military service.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, concluding that the Veteran's condition is more likely due to a long history of smoking and not related to in-service exposures or his service-connected asbestosis.

The Veteran's COPD with chronic bronchitis is granted a disability rating of 60 percent, effective from May 11, 2022. Prior to this date, the disability was rated at 30 percent.

The appeal to reopen the previously denied claim for COPD has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, bilateral lower extremity edema, and bronchitis. The Veteran's COPD was not linked to his active service due to a lack of evidence supporting the claim.,Service connection for bilateral lower extremity edema was also denied as there is no direct link between the condition and the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied service connection for asbestosis and COPD, finding that the evidence did not support a link to service or post-service exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for COPD, erectile dysfunction, and a skin disorder due to conflicting evidence. The liver cancer claim is granted as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning in a previous opinion regarding service connection for bronchitis. The Veteran's lay statements about symptoms during service need to be addressed by a new medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and a respiratory condition, to include bronchitis and COPD, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that caused current disabilities.,Service connection was not granted as the Veteran's conditions are considered to be due to natural progression over time rather than an event, injury, or disease incurred during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's additional cardiovascular, esophageal, pulmonary, and lumbar spine disorders are not due to VA negligence or fault during treatment for lung cancer.

The Board denied service connection for esophageal cancer and a respiratory disorder other than asbestosis and COPD, both claimed as due to exposure to asbestos. The issues of service connection for hemorrhagic stroke and SMC were remanded.,The evidence did not support the Veteran's claims that his esophageal cancer or respiratory disorders were related to his in-service exposure to asbestos.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were withdrawn and dismissed. The appeal regarding a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint and disc disease is remanded.