COPD Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for depression and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, finding no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his period of active service. The veteran's current hearing loss was also not found to warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for arthritis of multiple joints. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the veteran did not timely perfect an appeal on his claims for staged increased ratings for arteriosclerotic heart disease, special monthly compensation based on housebound status, and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for emphysema/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between his current disability and any incident of service.

The Board found that the veteran's death in November 2001 was not caused by or contributed to by any service-connected disability, and thus denied both the claim for service connection for cause of death and the accrued benefits claim.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of COPD, tinea pedis, and a chip fracture of the left ankle were denied. The claim to reopen his frostbite of the feet was granted, but he did not receive a compensable evaluation for hearing loss or service connection for a left knee disorder.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected COPD, effective from when it was initially assigned in February 2004.

The Board found no evidence linking the cause of the veteran's death to his service, including malaria. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease, bladder cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with granulomas of the lungs. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for a respiratory disorder, including bronchitis and COPD. The evidence submitted did not provide new and material information linking these conditions to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD is not related to his in-service asbestos exposure and denied service connection for this condition.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, temporary total evaluation under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 4.29 due to hospitalization for a service-connected disability in April 1999, and temporary total rating under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 4.30 for a period of convalescence following hospitalization in April 1999.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain terminal hospital records from Saint Edward Mercy Medical Center for the time period immediately preceding the veteran's death on March 22, 1999.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, arteriosclerotic peripheral vascular disease, and asbestosis. The issue of a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD during the period from July 23, 1992, to April 5, 2000, remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral hip disorder, finding that it was incurred in or as a result of service. Service connection is also granted for the veteran's heart and respiratory conditions to include COPD, bullous disease, and residuals of a collapsed left lung, based on secondary service connection due to his arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis and COPD, claiming these conditions as due to exposure to herbicides and printing press chemicals. New evidence submitted by the veteran indicates he was exposed to toxic chemicals while operating a printing press in Vietnam. The Board will proceed with further development to determine the etiology of any current respiratory disorder.

The Board has ordered further development due to the need for additional evidence and clarification of service records. The veteran's claim for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is being remanded for additional development.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for emphysema and COPD as secondary to asbestos exposure, finding that new and material evidence has been presented. The veteran's current lung disorder is likely exacerbated by his exposure to asbestos during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development due to incorrect submission of medical records and to ensure all relevant evidence is obtained.

The veteran's death was caused by metastasis to the lung due to COPD, which is service-connected. However, as his death resulted from a disease attributable to tobacco use during service, DIC benefits are not payable.