COPD Board decisions

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death due to lack of evidence linking the Veteran's end stage renal disease and COPD to his military service or his service-connected conditions. The July 2018 VA opinion concluded that PCT did not cause or aggravate the Veteran's end stage renal disease.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's COPD is related to his 2007 deployment in Iraq.

The Veteran's service connection claims for Parkinson’s disease, lung disability (asbestosis and COPD), and coronary artery disease are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board found that the October 2010 rating decision, which granted service connection for COPD, was clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to inaccurate medical evidence. As a result, the VA severed the award of service connection for COPD effective April 1, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% disability rating for service-connected emphysema, COPD, and pulmonary fibrosis is denied as the earliest possible effective date is June 30, 2015.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his active service.,The Veteran's PTSD; unspecified depressive disorder is rated at 70 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma, pulmonary nodules, and COPD. The Veteran's lung conditions are related to his military service.

The Board's decision to remand several issues has been vacated due to the Veteran's participation in VA’s RAMP program, which removed jurisdiction from the Board.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection of feet problems was granted. The Board found that the evidence submitted since the April 2012 rating decision is new and material, thus allowing him to proceed with reopening the claim. However, both issues - bilateral foot disability and COPD - were remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded his claim for COPD due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that COPD or hypertension were related to service.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal, so the Board dismissed both issues.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and thoracolumbar or cervical spine disability are all granted as service-connected.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes, and the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, asthma, and COPD are remanded.

The Board has granted a January 24, 2011 effective date for the assignment of a 20 percent rating for erectile dysfunction. The case is remanded for further action on service connection for COPD and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's COPD, including whether it is related to service or asbestos exposure.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a bilateral foot condition due to new evidence and development. The Veteran's COPD and prostate cancer are denied as not shown to be causally related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for osteoarthritis, lung disease (claimed as COPD), hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD) due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disability, claimed as COPD and including exposure to chemical contaminants. Service connection for IHD is also granted due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, finding that there was no evidence of exposure to asbestos or herbicides during service and that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a current disability. The decision also noted that the passage of time between discharge from active service and the medical documentation of a claimed disability is a factor that tends to weigh against a claim for service connection.