COPD Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's hip and pelvis injury is attributable to his active service, thus granting service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD (emphysema)/bronchitis did not begin during his military service and is unrelated to his service, including any treatment he received in service.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a respiratory examination.

The veteran claims service connection for a lung disorder, including emphysema and COPD. The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the lung disorder.

The veteran's spouse is seeking accrued benefits based on claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction and COPD. The claims were denied due to lack of a nexus between these disorders and the veteran's service or service-connected disabilities. A remand is necessary to obtain additional VA treatment records relevant to the veteran's claims.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for emergency treatment from February 20, 2006 to February 26, 2006 are approved as the treatment was deemed necessary due to a medical emergency and no VA facility was feasibly available.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of facial trauma to the nose and jaw, a respiratory disorder due to herbicide exposure, and a left leg disorder. The claimant's appeal was not successful in any of these areas.

The Board found that none of the veteran's service-connected conditions caused or contributed to his death.

The Board is remanding the case to the RO for further development and consideration, including obtaining a VA examination to determine if COPD is proximately due to or the result of service-connected rhinitis with sinusitis.

The veteran seeks service connection for COPD as a result of asbestos exposure. The claim is being remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and determine the relationship between the veteran's current condition and his in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death and payment of accrued benefits due to lack of evidence linking the veteran's conditions to his service.

The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for COPD, either as incurred in service or secondary to PTSD. The veteran's COPD is considered to be related to his smoking habit.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding that the veteran was not service-connected for any disabilities at the time of his death and would not have been entitled to a total compensation rating for a continuous period of at least 10 years immediately preceding death.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to the adjudication of this claim due to inadequate notice provided to the appellant.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that none of them were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and denied service connection for COPD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current COPD and previous pneumonia are not service-connected, as there is no medical nexus linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis and COPD, finding that there is no evidence of in-service asbestos exposure or a direct link to military service.

The veteran's death was due to his service-connected COPD, and the appellant meets the criteria for DIC benefits as her marriage occurred within 15 years of the relevant period of service.