COPD Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, pneumonia, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to his withdrawal of these claims during a Board hearing. The claim for TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a respiratory condition (chronic bronchitis/COPD) was granted. The claim for service connection for headaches is pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, asthma, and chronic kidney disease due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The case is returned for further development including obtaining a dose estimate from the Department of Defense and conducting VA examinations to determine if there is a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the claim of entitlement to service connection for cause of the Veteran's death. The appeal is being remanded due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's COPD, related to in-service herbicide exposure, was the immediate or underlying cause of his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD with emphysema, asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic pneumonia, and diabetes mellitus type 2 is granted. The claims for asthma and chronic respiratory disorder are remanded due to additional evidence received after the March 2020 statement of the case.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and coronary artery disease due to a lack of VA examination, and requests additional development including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion on the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to procedural issues and the need for additional medical examinations. The claims will be reconsidered on their merits.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, lumbosacral strain (back injury), sleep apnea, tendonitis of the left ankle, and tendonitis of the right ankle. The claim for flat feet was reopened but not granted.

Service connection is granted for COPD, but the claims of service connection for granulomatous lung disease and heart disease are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for COPD due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents and asbestos is conceded, but there is no direct evidence linking COPD to these exposures.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional records from the Social Security Administration.

The Board has dismissed the claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, and COPD due to a failure to timely file a VA Form 10182.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to new evidence and issues related to service connection, rating, and TDIU.

The Veteran's COPD/bronchitis was restored to a 30 percent rating effective October 8, 2010.,For the period prior to October 8, 2010, and after that date, the Veteran is not entitled to an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for his COPD/bronchitis.

The Veteran's claim for cirrhosis of the liver was reopened and granted due to new evidence linking it to service. The claim for COPD, however, was denied as there is no link between the condition and herbicide exposure.,Service connection for cirrhosis of the liver was established based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected adenocarcinoma and sleep apnea with COPD, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease, lung cancer and COPD, prostate cancer, ECA (stroke), and ED due to herbicide exposure.,Service treatment records did not show any complaints or diagnoses related to the conditions. The Veteran's post-service medical records indicated diagnoses of these conditions but they were not within one year after discharge from service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for sinusitis. Service connection for COPD is remanded, while the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD remains on appeal.,Service connection for tinnitus was granted based on a finding that it began during service and persisted since. The Board found no evidence against this claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory disability and tremor disability are remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The VA examiner did not adequately address the theories of entitlement raised by the Veteran, including those related to PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical opinions and new theories of entitlement, including burn pit exposure.