COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU was dismissed because he did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) within one year of the March 2016 rating decision.

The Veteran's COPD with asthmatic bronchitis has been evaluated based on FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC results from Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs). For the period prior to October 19, 2015, his disability was rated at 30 percent. Beginning October 19, 2015, it has been rated at 60 percent.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is pending as additional development is required.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD (claimed as emphysema). However, the preponderance of the evidence is against finding a relationship between the Veteran's respiratory disorders and his in-service asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records and further development of his claim.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and denied service connection for a respiratory disability. The Veteran's chronic lumbar strain was incurred in service, while his current respiratory condition is not shown to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development and evaluation, including obtaining additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, COPD, and depression.

The Board has granted service connection for lung cancer, a collapsed lung, and neuropathy of the left upper extremity and bilateral lower extremities as secondary to asbestos exposure. Service connection was denied for respiratory disorder (including COPD and emphysema) and neuropathy of the right lower extremity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evidentiary development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing.

The Board has determined that a chronic lung disability, currently diagnosed as COPD, was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service. The Veteran's claim for service connection is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lung disorder, including COPD and chronic pneumonia, was not incurred or aggravated during service. The VA examinations did not support a finding of continuity of symptoms after service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory/lung disorder, including as due to exposure to asbestos, is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on Aid and Attendance and/or Housebound is being remanded due to the need for VCAA-compliant notice and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD and pulmonary fibrosis is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant VA treatment records and an examination by a pulmonologist.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to address the Veteran's lung conditions and their relationship to service, including exposure to asbestos.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining addendum opinions from VA examiners to address the nature and etiology of his hearing loss, tinnitus, and lung disability claims. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule VA examinations for his claimed conditions. The appeals will be reconsidered after the additional information and evaluations are obtained.

The Veteran's COPD is found to have its onset during service, and the Board grants service connection for a respiratory disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinion regarding his service connection claim.

The Veteran's claimed respiratory disabilities (asthma, emphysema, COPD and pneumonia) were not shown to be related to his active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension, ischemic heart disease (IHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The VA opinions provided no evidence linking these conditions to service.