COPD Board decisions

The Board denied an increased rating for chronic pulmonary tuberculosis with a lobectomy of the right upper lobe and COPD, and also denied reopening the claim for secondary service connection for cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and an increased rating for his shell fragment wounds of the nose with nasal dysfunction, but granted a 10% rating for his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis.

The Board has remanded the case to the regional office for obtaining additional VA outpatient treatment records and a chest X-ray report, which were not previously considered. The veteran's claim will be adjudicated again based on these new documents.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for emphysema, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or any other previously treated lung disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, pneumonia, and COPD, as well as his requests for increased ratings for maxillary sinusitis with allergic rhinitis and deviated nasal septum. The effective date of TDIU was also not granted.

The veteran's COPD is presumed to have been incurred in service due to his qualifying full body exposure to mustard gas.

The Board has determined that the claims of entitlement to service connection for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), asthma, deafness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary emphysema are not well grounded. As such, these claims have been denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by his service-connected coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which were both linked to his tobacco use during service. As a result, the appeal for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the cause of the veteran's death to service or a service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim.

The veteran's disabilities, including his psychiatric disorder and COPD, are rated at the minimum levels allowed by law. The RO found that his alcohol abuse was due to willful misconduct and thus not compensable.

The Board found that the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance are not well grounded. The claim for service connection was denied due to lack of evidence linking the veteran's death to his service-connected arthritis, while the claim for educational assistance was denied because the veteran did not meet the prerequisite conditions.

The veteran's service-connected hypertensive cardiovascular disease was found to have contributed substantially to his death, but not as the primary cause. The lung tumor and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were significant factors in his demise.

The veteran died from COPD, but his service-connected heart disease and duodenal ulcer did not contribute to his death.,The appellant's claim for basic eligibility for dependents' educational assistance was denied as the veteran had no permanent total disability rating at the time of his death.

The veteran's service-connected sinusitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are not considered to be the primary cause of his inability to work, as he has other non-service connected health issues that prevent him from engaging in gainful employment.

The Board denied increased evaluations for COPD and lumbosacral strain as residuals of service-connected shell fragment wounds, finding that the evidence did not warrant an increase in disability ratings.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current respiratory conditions, including bilateral pneumothoraces, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and pleurisy, are related to his service-connected tuberculosis. The evidence is in equipoise regarding this relationship.

The Board found that additional compensation benefits for the veteran's children should have been effective earlier than June 1, 1996. The decision granted the veteran's claim for his son and partially granted it for his daughters.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a spontaneous pneumothorax, left lung and COPD. The Board found that there was no evidence showing that these conditions were related to military service.,The Board also noted that the veteran had not provided any credible medical statements linking his current COPD with military service or an event during service.

The Board denied service connection for carcinoma of the larynx and COPD, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Board found that the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death was not well-grounded and denied it. The appeal regarding entitlement to improved death pension benefits based on income during 1996 was also denied, as there were no accrued benefits due at the time of her husband's death. The Board noted that further development was needed to determine if any accrued benefits could be awarded for subsequent years.