COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

Service connection for low back disability is granted. An effective date prior to August 20, 2024, for the award of an increased 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. Entitlement to initial compensable rating for COPD is denied. Service connection for OSA is remanded.,The Veteran's low back disability had its onset during active duty and was granted service connection based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma is denied as there is no current diagnosis of asthma in the claims file.,An initial 30 percent disability rating for allergic rhinitis is granted, subject to further development.

The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and rhinitis, but has remanded the claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and COPD due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's COPD is presumed to be related to his service in the Persian Gulf, including exposure to burn pits and other toxins. The Board granted service connection for COPD under the PACT Act.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disabilities, including COPD and emphysema. The AOJ is instructed to obtain new VA medical opinions that consider all relevant exposure events during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, adjustment disorder, depression, and substance abuse disorder, was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and there was no corroborated in-service stressor.,Service connection for COPD was also remanded due to the VA examiner's competence being challenged by the Veteran.

The Veteran's initial ratings for coronary artery disease and hypertension have been granted, but no higher. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on his current symptoms.,Service connection for COPD and malignant neoplasm of major salivary glands is remanded due to lack of an etiological opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition, finding that his COPD was causally related to his tobacco use and not incurred in or otherwise related to his service.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (posterior tibial nerve) is rated at 10 percent and denied an increased rating.,The Veteran's neuropathy of the right lower extremity (internal saphenous nerve) is rated at noncompensable and denied an initial compensable rating.,The Veteran's right foot contusion injury residuals are rated at 20 percent and granted a higher 40 percent rating.,The Veteran's COPD has not been increased to meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's cause of death was not related to his active service, as the evidence does not support a finding that COPD or hypertension were caused by service. The Board denied entitlement to service connection for cause of death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding the adequacy of the VA medical opinion provided. The Veteran's COPD is related to his service exposure to asbestos and Agent Orange, but the current VA examination did not address whether the COPD is related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to conduct a thorough review of the Veteran's service records regarding potential in-service asbestos exposure. The claim will be reconsidered with this information.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD and Sleep Disorder due to insufficient development, including a lack of VA examinations or medical opinions assessing these conditions. The RO must provide such assessments.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and Parkinson's disease are related to active service. The claims for COPD, psoriasis, and congestive heart failure are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has remanded the claims of trench mouth, impotence, COPD, and emphysema for further development due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to January 2, 2013, for the grant of service connection and a 30 percent rating for COPD is denied. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for COPD from January 2, 2013, to July 5, 2024, is also denied.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected left ankle disability.,The Veteran's respiratory disability (asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis) is granted based on exposure during active service.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, and sleep apnea as there is no evidence of a causal relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his active duty service.,There was insufficient evidence to support a nexus between the Veteran's current disabilities (asthma, COPD, and sleep apnea) and his active duty service.

The Veteran's Parkinson disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with emphysema, and obstructive sleep apnea are all found to be service-connected due to exposure to toxic chemicals during military service. The Veteran's cause of death was respiratory failure resulting from his service-connected COPD.