COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for a lung disorder is dismissed. His application to reopen the claim of service connection for a sinus disorder is granted, but he withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision on it. The Board also denied his claim of service connection for sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to asbestosis exposure has been dismissed because the appellant passed away in April 2020.

The Board has remanded the claims for COPD, chronic kidney disease, and asthma due to a lack of compliance with previous directives. The Veteran's service records indicate he was an Atomic Demolition Munitions (ADM) specialist at Fort Belvoir from May 1969 until January 1970. VA must attempt to obtain any radiation exposure records for the Veteran and provide them to the Under Secretary for Health for a dose estimate.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a low back disability and respiratory disorder, including asthma and COPD, due to incomplete medical opinions addressing continuity of symptomatology and causation.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the Veteran's diagnosed COPD was not due to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's COPD may be related to his service, specifically his exposure to asbestos. However, due to insufficient information regarding this exposure, the case is being remanded for further development and a medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for respiratory, thoracolumbar/cervical spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities. The decision also denied an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current COPD is more likely related to his long-term tobacco smoking rather than any in-service exposure or injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that his lung cancer and COPD were not related to his military service or asbestos exposure.,The Board also denied DIC benefits, noting that the Veteran was not rated as totally disabled at any point.

The Board has granted service connection for hemorrhoids but denied service connection for a digestive disorder other than hemorrhoids and remanded the respiratory disorder claim. The case is now pending with the VA examiner to provide an opinion on whether asthma and COPD are related to military service.

The Veteran's COPD is not considered service-connected because it was not shown to be related to his military service. The Board has found the VA examination report and opinion to be of great probative value.,The Veteran's hair loss is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure, but there is no evidence linking this condition to his military service. Therefore, the claim for hair loss will be remanded for further development.,Seborrheic keratosis is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure and the Board has found that it is not related to the Veteran's military service. The claim for seborrheic keratosis will also be remanded for further development.,Basal cell carcinoma is presumed due to herbicide agent exposure, but there is no evidence linking this condition to the Veteran's military service. Therefore, the claim for basal cell carcinoma will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status was denied because he did not meet the criteria of needing regular aid and attendance, nor was he considered to be housebound.,The Veteran's application for non-service-connected disability pension benefits was also denied due to his income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR).

The Veteran's claims for right forearm liposarcoma and left groin disability were dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.,Claims for bilateral hand and foot tremors, anemia (pernicious anemia), respiratory disability (COPD, recurrent pneumonia, residuals of pneumonia), blood clot disability (pulmonary embolism, thrombophlebitis), and diverticular disease were denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render her unable to work prior to April 13, 2016. The Board denied entitlement to individual unemployability based on extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's appeal was remanded for issues related to service connection for various conditions, including skin cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral hearing loss, scarring of the lungs, and COPD. The appellant withdrew his claim for skin cancer due to Agent Orange exposure.,An effective date of February 12, 2015, was granted for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, a pulmonary disability, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development including VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for COPD and hypertension, which are not presumed to be related to herbicide exposure.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, COPD, and lung cancer. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and mesothelioma as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury that could have caused these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's COPD, including whether it is related to his military service or his service-connected PTSD and/or heart disability.