COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking his conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for COPD as it is not etiologically related to the Veteran's active service and was not caused or permanently worsened by his service-connected allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted an initial 70 percent rating, effective August 19, 2010. The claim for COPD remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for traumatic brain injury, respiratory disability (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Parkinsonism, and obstructive sleep apnea due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The VA is directed to obtain relevant records from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and any other private records identified by the Veteran.

The Veteran's cause of death was pneumonia due to COPD, with congestive heart failure as a contributing factor. The Board found that his service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death and could not establish presumptive service connection for the causes of death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to address his service connection claims, including obtaining corroborated in-service stressors and medical records from private physicians. The Veteran is also required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings have been dismissed as the Veteran has withdrawn his appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a respiratory condition, including asbestosis, COPD and chronic bronchitis, and whether the separate evaluation for GERD was correctly terminated effective July 1, 2013, and combined with the evaluation of duodenal ulcer. The claims are being remanded due to inadequate examinations and need further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's COPD and sleep apnea should be remanded for further examination to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted, and the claims for COPD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and TBI are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral flatfeet, left ear hearing loss, COPD, and tinnitus. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, sleep apnea, and CHF are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for asthma and a respiratory disorder other than asthma (including COPD, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis) due to exposure to chemicals and/or jet fuel. The Veteran's military occupational specialty was fuel specialist, which may have exposed him to these substances.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right hand condition and respiratory condition due to incomplete development of evidence, including missing STRs and prison medical records. The Veteran's representative argues that his STRs are located at VA’s Records Management Center in St. Louis, MO.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for COPD, so the case is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records and requests for additional private medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, ocular hypertension, COPD, and diabetes mellitus type II have all been denied as they are not found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including due to herbicide exposure, is granted. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any diagnosed respiratory conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and COPD due to inadequate examination reports. The claims will be further developed with a VA examination.

The appeal for service connection for a heart condition and colonic polyps is dismissed.,The appeals for service connection for left ear pain, asthma, and COPD are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between the condition and military service. Service connection for COPD is remanded as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding its etiology.