COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for peripheral neuropathy, COPD, anemia, and hypertension have been granted. The claim for back disability is remanded.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from the VA examiner regarding the Veteran's respiratory conditions, including asthma and COPD. The examiner must consider all diagnoses since April 2013 and determine if they are related to service exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty regarding whether the Veteran served in the Republic of Vietnam, which could affect his claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board has decided that the July 2019 examination is inadequate and requires an addendum opinion to determine if COPD was aggravated by service-connected pleural plaques.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder and sleep apnea are being remanded for separate evaluation, as the two conditions affect different areas of the body. Additionally, TDIU is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the rating reduction issue.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his cause of death.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are less likely related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a failure to obtain Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board has found that the Veteran's OSA and related conditions are not related to his active duty service, while his heart condition, hypertension, and other claimed conditions lack sufficient evidence of a nexus to his military service.

The Veteran's COPD was not incurred in or related to service, including his exposure to asbestos. The Board found the evidence did not support a finding of service connection.

The claims of entitlement to service connection for bronchitis and stomach ulcers have been reopened, and the appeals are granted. The remaining issues remain in remand status.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeals for tinnitus and earlier effective date. Service connection for coronary artery disease is granted, but the case is remanded to obtain an opinion on whether COPD is related to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for COPD and other respiratory disorders. The claim is expanded to include any respiratory condition, including COPD.

The Veteran's respiratory condition, including COPD and OSA, is rated at 30 percent from April 28, 2011, and at 50 percent from May 14, 2019. The right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 10 percent. Other issues related to service connection or disability ratings are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease secondary to hypertension is granted. The claim for service connection for COPD is remanded.

The Board has decided that the appellant's claim for service connection for COPD should be remanded due to incomplete medical records from Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The claim of service connection for OSA is reopened due to new and material evidence. The issues of rating PTSD, service connection for COPD, and service connection for OSA are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any respiratory disability shown during the appeal period, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board dismissed all appeals as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's death was not caused by service or a service-connected disability. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is also denied.