COPD Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a low back disorder, right leg disorder, or left leg disorder related to service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board denied reopening the claim for schizophrenia and found no service connection for head injury residuals, back disability, or COPD. The claims were all denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for non-tubercular pulmonary disease, diagnosed as COPD, emphysema, and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a direct or secondary relationship to his service-connected lung pathology.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the veteran's fatal cardiovascular disease and/or COPD and his service, as well as any potential exposure to toxic substances. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining this information.

The Board found that the veteran's death was caused by a service-connected condition (COPD) attributable to tobacco products, and therefore denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has decided that further development of the evidence is needed before deciding whether the veteran's COPD is related to asbestos exposure during service.

The Board found that the veteran's breathing problems, including COPD and OSA, are not related to his active duty service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The VA has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, as the submitted evidence does not link the cause of death (bronchial asthma) to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran did not have exposure to mustard gas or Lewisite during service and thus could not establish a claim for service connection based on such exposure. The Board also determined that there was no evidence of combat, which is required for claims involving PTSD. As a result, the veteran's claims were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including head injury, back disability, shoulder disorders, foot injuries, eye disorder, heart disorder, lung disease, psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, asbestosis, COPD, cervical spine disorder, hemorrhoids, tinnitus, and loss of teeth are not supported by the evidence of record.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of a link between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a head injury, scar from facial injury, lung disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and pancreatitis. The claims were not granted due to lack of presumptive service connection based on exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability and therefore, the appellant is denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, and dependents' educational assistance benefits under Chapter 35.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence regarding the veteran's in-service episodes of pneumonia and their relation to his current lung conditions. The veteran is required to provide evidence confirming these in-service incidents, which may be found in his personnel records or unit histories.

The veteran does not have COPD or pulmonary fibrosis that is attributable to asbestos exposure during military service.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, finding no competent medical or factual evidence indicating any in-service incident.

Service connection has been granted for a disability of the cervical spine (C5-6 and C6-7), a growth on the left foot, degenerative changes in the left knee and distal femur, and a pulmonary disorder to include COPD. Service connection was not established for blisters of the feet.,The veteran's service connection claims were granted based on presumptive exposure to Gulf War conditions.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating of his COPD, currently rated at 30 percent. The evidence did not show that he required monthly visits to a physician or intermittent courses of systemic corticosteroids.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, asthma, COPD, and asbestosis. The reasons given were that there was no proof of combat exposure or credible supporting evidence of the claimed stressors, and the conditions did not meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent, and thus his claim is denied.