COPD Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a need for additional medical examination and evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for alcohol abuse/dependence and sexual dysfunction disorder as secondary to the veteran's service-connected PTSD.,Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was not found to be related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a respiratory disorder characterized as breathing trouble, diagnosed as asthma and bronchitis with COPD. The evidence now submitted supports this finding.

The VA determined that the veteran's death was not caused or contributed to by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA medical personnel during his hospitalization and treatment. The Board found no evidence supporting any such claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a lack of response to a request for evidence.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and thus denied both claims for service connection for the cause of death and DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current lung disorders, including left lower lung fibrosis and COPD, are not related to service or were manifested within one year of service discharge. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's death is being reviewed for possible service connection, but the appeal is currently on hold due to outstanding medical records and a need for a medical opinion. The appellant also seeks DEA benefits based on her husband's death.

The veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine and COPD conditions were denied. The RO found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these disabilities.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis, a skin disorder, emphysema, and asthma, all claimed as secondary to mustard gas exposure. However, these claims are being remanded due to the need to obtain private medical records from Dr. B and ensure compliance with guidance on handling mustard gas and Lewisite exposures.

The Board finds that the veteran's chronic bronchitis, asthma, and COPD are service-connected as they developed during his military service due to environmental exposures and in-service treatment.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death and also denied the claim for dependents' educational assistance benefits under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code.

The Board found that the veteran's fatal gastrointestinal and pulmonary diseases did not have a direct link to service, and his alcoholism was not linked to an underlying psychiatric disorder. Therefore, the cause of death is not attributable to service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death.

The veteran's claims are being remanded for further development, including a medical examination to assess the impact of his disabilities on employment and to determine if they are related to service.

The Board found no evidence of mustard gas exposure during service and concluded that the veteran's current COPD or emphysema is more likely related to his tobacco use than any event or occurrence in service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a lung disorder, finding that his current COPD is not related to his period of active duty and was not caused by exposure to herbicides.