COPD Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD is not related to service, including exposure to asbestos in service. As a result, service connection for COPD was denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD. The case is being remanded due to the need for a complete VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current respiratory condition and military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's COPD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and it may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The negative service treatment records, lack of continuity of symptomatology for five decades after separation from service, and the uncredibility of lay statements regarding asbestos exposure are against granting service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's COPD was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claims for service connection based on asbestos exposure and herbicide exposure.

The service-connected diffuse interstitial fibrosis (asbestosis) contributed to the Veteran's death from respiratory failure, liver failure, and acute renal failure. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death based on this finding.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused or contributed to by his service-connected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and therefore, denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic obstructive lung disease with history of asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current disability level.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for chronic sinusitis since November 14, 2007. The Veteran's claims for service connection of COPD and asthma have been denied, as well as his claim for an increased initial evaluation for chronic sinusitis.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the readjudication of the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic respiratory disorder, consistent with the Court remand.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as probable arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with COPD contributing to his death. The Board found that neither condition is service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for reopening a service connection claim and for an increased evaluation of his appendectomy scar are being remanded due to the Veteran's failure to appear at scheduled hearings.

The Board found that there is no medical evidence indicating a current hearing loss disability was incurred or aggravated by active duty.,There is no medical evidence showing a connection between the Veteran's pulmonary disabilities, including COPD and asthma, and her active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing and clarification of his representation. The issues of service connection for PTSD, depression, and COPD are still pending.

The VA determined that the Veteran's COPD did not manifest in service or for many years thereafter and is not related to service.

The Veteran's death was caused by a disability incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service, specifically his service-connected PTSD. The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise on whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed to his death from aspiration.

The Veteran's death was due to nonservice-connected causes and he is not buried in a national cemetery. However, the appellant is eligible for a plot or interment allowance as he served on active duty and his death was from nonservice-connected causes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his hearing loss and arthritis of the knees, but granted a non-compensable rating for his service-connected cervical spine condition. The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a respiratory condition was not addressed as it is inextricably intertwined with other claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to his COPD and metastatic colon cancer, which were incurred during active service. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Meniere's syndrome with deafness and tinnitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis, residuals of a left wrist injury, and residuals of a right wrist injury, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted the TDIU claim.

The Board found no evidence of COPD or heart disease during service, and the Veteran's current conditions are not shown to be related to his military service. Service connection for COPD is denied.