COPD Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disorders, including COPD and pneumonia, are not related to his active service or herbicide exposure. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disability, including COPD, is not service connected as it did not develop due to an in-service injury or incident. The preponderance of evidence supports a finding that the current respiratory disability is related to the Veteran's smoking history.

The Board has determined that the VA Regional Office did not substantially comply with its prior remand directives and thus, the case is being returned to them for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disorder, including COPD, is not related to service or exposure to asbestos. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to chemicals during service, specifically at an unidentified ammo dump in 1967. The Veteran contends that his current COPD is related to this exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The other issues are not addressed due to lack of evidence or further development needed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right and left carpal tunnel syndrome, hypertension, and asthma with COPD and OSA have been granted. The effective dates are September 4, 1998.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD was reopened, and he is now entitled to a 50 percent disability rating for PTSD prior to January 22, 2016. His kidney cancer has been granted service connection on a presumptive basis due to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to verify the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange in Thailand, which could impact his claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and a respiratory/lung disorder. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's bilateral pulmonary hyperinflation is found to be related to his service-connected respiratory disabilities and thus granted for recharacterization purposes only. The Veteran's service-connected respiratory disability is now classified as including bilateral pulmonary hyperinflation.

The Veteran wishes to withdraw his current claims on appeal, including those for increased rating for diabetes and service connection for various conditions secondary to diabetes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including COPD, acute respiratory disease, asthma, and bronchitis is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of her current bronchitis and asthma.

The Board found that the Veteran's current respiratory disorders (COPD and emphysema) are not related to his military service, including exposure to asbestos. The Board concluded that these conditions are more likely due to cigarette smoking rather than any in-service event or condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting asthma was not aggravated by his active duty service, but denied service connection for COPD and emphysema as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's low back, left foot, respiratory, or bladder cancer disabilities to service.,As such, the claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current respiratory disability, including COPD and chronic bronchiectasis, is causally related to his symptoms during service. As such, the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Veteran's current pulmonary disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, including as due to herbicide or asbestos exposure. Service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, to include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is being remanded due to the need for additional development and an updated VA examination.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling an examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for chronic lung disability (asbestosis, COPD, and asthma) is being reviewed.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, COPD, was not caused by exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune or due to service-related environmental hazards. The opinion concluded that his COPD was not related to his active duty service.