COPD decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The claims for left foot disability, right foot disability, back disability, and COPD are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for chronic cough, chronic sore throat, and COPD due to inadequate medical opinions in the prior decision. The Veteran's service records contain reports of cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion during service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including emphysema and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), due to errors in obtaining necessary evidence and developing the record.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder is not service-connected as it did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty.,There is no competent and credible evidence establishing that the Veteran currently suffers from a right leg impairment, other than radiculopathy, to include as secondary to a back disability.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for their service-connected condition of status post thoracotomy has been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for lung nodule and COPD due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to asbestos in Vietnam. The case will be returned to the RO for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bladder cancer, COPD, emphysema, and throat cancer are dismissed. The Board finds that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to in-service exposures, specifically burn pits, and grants service connection on a facts-found basis.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete authorization forms from the appellant regarding his medical records from the Florida Department of Corrections. The case will be readjudicated after obtaining these records.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected due to the cause of death being attributed to ischemic bowel, respiratory failure, and kidney failure. Service connection for COPD as related to herbicide exposure is also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for further development regarding the Veteran's exposure to asbestos, herbicide agents, and other potential toxins during service. The claims for COPD, thrombocutaneous platelet disorder, GERD, and Barrett's esophagus are being reviewed on their merits.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and a need for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for COPD, asthma, and chronic bronchitis due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to consider all relevant evidence. The Veteran's symptoms are related to in-service exposure to burn pit smoke.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of COPD, so the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD is remanded due to the need for an addendum medical opinion. The claims of increased rating for diabetes mellitus type 2 and compensable rating for diabetic retinopathy are also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for COPD and PTSD, as well as his acquired psychiatric disorder claim due to a duty-to-assist error in the March 2021 VA examination. The Veteran needs an adequate VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his COPD and his acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis/COPD is remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA TERA medical opinion did not address the issue of burn pit exposure and the synergistic combined effect of all TERAs.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and SMC has been dismissed due to his death. The claims will not be reconsidered.

The Veteran's initial, compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied. Service connection for a respiratory disability due to in-service herbicide exposure (Agent Orange) was granted. The claims of entitlement to an initial, compensable rating for service-connected hypertension and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea were remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically failing to provide an examination as required by the PACT Act.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for recurrent tonsillitis and hypertrophic tonsils has been granted. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a pulmonary disability, to include COPD.