COPD Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current COPD is not shown to be etiologically related to service, including as due to asbestos exposure. Therefore, the claim for service connection for COPD is denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, degenerative joint disease, bilateral hearing loss, COPD, carpal tunnel syndromes, and kidney failure. The evidence submitted since the final decisions raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD was not incurred or aggravated in service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for multiple myeloma was dismissed as he withdrew his claim.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which he attributes to exposure to asbestos and toxic chemicals during his military service. The case is being remanded due to the need to obtain STRs from the North Carolina National Guard and further examination of the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% since June 24, 2010.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for COPD. The claim remains pending.,Service connection for COPD was denied in a previous decision but reopened due to new evidence. The Veteran's COPD is not related to his military service.,The Veteran's TDIU rating appeal is moot as he already has a 100% disability rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's COPD was granted a 10 percent rating from February 9, 2012. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any period.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, but further development is needed before a decision can be made.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities and left upper extremity, emphysema, and COPD were not shown to be related to service or any presumptive exposure.,Service connection for asbestosis was denied due to lack of evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected lung cancer has caused or aggravated his COPD.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest due to COPD. The VA examiner found that the service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death or aggravate his COPD.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and verifying the Veteran's earlier period of active duty service. If these records show a respiratory diagnosis associated with asbestos exposure, an addendum VA medical opinion will be required to determine if any current diagnoses are related to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disability, diagnosed as COPD and asthma, did not have its onset in service or is otherwise related to service. The Veteran's current diagnosis has been established by medical evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for ischemic heart disease is granted due to the evidence being at least in equipoise that he has this condition. The claim for COPD remains pending as the VA examination was inadequate and a new one is needed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any current pulmonary disability, including asbestosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death was not due to a disability incurred in or aggravated by active service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and the appellant is not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a skin disorder. The decision also addressed initial compensable ratings for left and right hamstring muscle strains but did not assign any rating or effective date.

The Board has remanded the claims for asthma and COPD due to insufficient development, including a need for additional exposure verification and a new VA examination.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the death of the Appellant during the pendency of the appeal.