COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's cause of death was not due to a service-connected disability, and his service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's tinea pedis and unguium were granted a 60 percent rating effective September 19, 2016. The appeal is remanded for further development.,COPD and variously diagnosed psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression) are also being remanded.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his service-connected conditions and his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, COPD, and PTSD with depressive disorder NOS due to lack of proper appeal action on these issues. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for COPD as secondary to service-connected pneumothorax residuals is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sleep apnea are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Board finds that the record does not contain adequate VA examinations addressing whether his current COPD was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected lung cancer, and whether his sleep apnea had its onset during active military duty.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's COPD is related to asbestos exposure in service. The claim will be reviewed again with a new opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand and grants service connection on a presumptive basis. The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected back condition contributed to his death from congestive heart failure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis, COPD, heart disease, and sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence in the record. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain private treatment records from Dr. S.M., provide the Veteran with another opportunity to submit additional evidence, schedule a VA examination, and adjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further examination and development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bronchial asthma and COPD due to lack of competent medical evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for malaria and COPD evaluations, as well as individual unemployability, have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no medical evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for COPD and basal cell skin cancer of the face to include as due to Agent Orange exposure, and service connection for sleep apnea to include as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations and opinions due to lack of recent medical evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by service-connected conditions, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death. The case is being remanded to obtain a medical opinion on whether any service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to the Veteran's exposure to asbestos while serving on board the USS San Pablo AGS.

The Board has denied service connection for PTSD due to the lack of a current disability related to a diagnosis of PTSD. The COPD claim is remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding its relation to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's son, the appellant, requested additional accrued benefits for expenses related to his father's last sickness and burial. However, the Board found that no additional expenses were incurred by the appellant beyond those already reimbursed in October 2016, thus denying the claim.