COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD was granted on October 26, 2021. The effective date is set to this day.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA and asthma with COPD prior to August 9, 2023. The issue of service connection for GERD is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for his right upper chest scar, an earlier effective date prior to September 1, 2020, for service connection of his right upper chest scar, and an increased disability rating for COPD with emphysema prior to September 1, 2020. The Veteran's claim for TDIU was also dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include a pulmonary condition, bilateral foot condition, cervical spine disability, and hernia.

The Veteran's COPD is related to his military service, specifically the exposure to secondhand smoke during his active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant private treatment records. The Board will request these records and then readjudicate the cases.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining relevant records, including service personnel and treatment records of the Veteran. The appellant's claim for DIC benefits will be reconsidered with these additional records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD and increased ratings for tension headaches associated with traumatic brain injury and bilateral pes planus were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or relationship to service for COPD, and that the Veteran's tension headaches did not meet the criteria for a 50% rating under Diagnostic Code 8100.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and COPD due to inadequate previous opinions. The Veteran's MDD is alleged to have affected his ability to use a CPAP mask, potentially worsening his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for an increased level of SMC was denied as he does not meet the criteria for any of the available rates under VA regulations.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, COPD, and bronchial asthma. The Board found that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a new VA medical opinion to determine if his pulmonary disabilities are due to service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents. The issue remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of any current respiratory disability other than pleural plaques, including COPD and emphysema. The Veteran's service-connected asbestos-induced pleural plaques are not considered a basis for granting service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's COPD, which is currently diagnosed. The VA will obtain such an opinion based on the record and address whether it is at least as likely as not that the COPD is related to in-service exposure to asbestos, jet engine fuels, and other smoke.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, HTN, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy due to their secondary nature to his already service-connected schizophrenia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including asthma, emphysema, COPD, and OSA due to exposure to chemicals and fumes during his military service. The case is back before the Board after multiple remands.

The Veteran's accrued benefits claim for reimbursement of assisted living facility expenses is denied as the evidence does not show that the Appellant paid the last sickness expense related to the Veteran's assisted living fees.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his military service and his death from respiratory failure, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and chronic kidney disease. The Board noted that the Veteran did not serve in an area where herbicide agent exposure is presumed and that he never sought service connection for any of these conditions prior to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete STRs and the need for additional development.

The Veteran's myocardial infarction and kidney failure are remanded for a VA opinion to determine if they were caused by the Trivalent Afluria vaccine. The COPD claim is also remanded for a VA examination to determine its etiology.