COPD Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death was not caused by a service-connected disability.,VA determined that the appellant did not meet the requirements for Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the appellant's currently diagnosed COPD is related to asbestos exposure during his active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's breathing problems, hypertension, and headaches were not caused by VA hernia repair surgery in June 1987. The evidence did not support a finding of additional disability resulting from the surgery.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of chronic sinusitis, residuals of viral influenza, or chronic pharyngitis. The claim for a pulmonary disorder (to include emphysema, COPD, and bronchitis) is denied as there is no evidence of such conditions during service and the post-service symptoms are too remote in time to support a finding of in-service onset.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and denied DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by chronic lung disease, which existed during his active service. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.

The Board finds that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability or one for which benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 were granted.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that COPD did not result from military service and was not caused by any disease or injury incurred in service.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examination.

The veteran's death was caused by his service-connected COPD, which is not considered a direct result of military service but rather due to the use of tobacco products he started using during his active duty.

The Board found no evidence linking the cause of death (adenocarcinoma of the colon and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) to service-connected conditions, thus denying the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than October 23, 1998, for service connection for COPD as due to asbestos exposure.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and lung cancer as due to asbestos exposure, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran does not have COPD as a result of his active military service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection for bilateral defective hearing is granted, as his current hearing loss is found to be related to in-service noise exposure. The issue of service connection for chronic respiratory disabilities including COPD and emphysema, alleged as secondary to asbestos exposure, remains pending.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death, and there is no evidence linking his causes of death (COPD, pneumonia, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure) to any service-connected disorder or directly to service.

The veteran's service-connected lobectomy, upper right, residuals of coccidioidomycosis, aggravated his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the Board has granted secondary service connection for COPD. The case is remanded to obtain a VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on employment.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for COPD, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, and an anxiety disorder with headaches. The appeals are dismissed.

The Board found that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and prostate cancer were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor could they be presumed to have been incurred during service due to exposure to herbicides. The veteran's allegations of Agent Orange exposure were not supported by the evidence of record.