COPD Board decisions

The Veteran's left knee disability, diagnosed as mild-to-moderate tricompartmental degenerative changes in the left knee, is granted. The Board also remanded for VA TERA examinations to determine if her respiratory issues and other disabilities are related to her exposure to asbestos and PFOA/PFOS during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding the Veteran's causes of death and service connection for cause of death. The VA examiner failed to address whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, resulting in a grant of SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's COPD is granted on a presumptive basis under the PACT Act due to exposure to burn pits during service.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's esophageal cancer and pulmonary disorders, including COPD, empyemas, fibrothorax, and severe restrictive lung disease with COPD. The AOJ is required to obtain new VA medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and additional development is required, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a qualified medical professional regarding the Veteran's cause of death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for COPD and CAD are being remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining medical records and the need for an addendum opinion regarding heart failure symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on loss of use due to service-connected conditions, as there was no evidence of loss of use or anatomical loss of breast tissue. The Veteran's service-connected COPD and depressive disorder did not meet the criteria for SMC.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his in-service herbicide exposure and there is no medical nexus between his service and his current COPD.

The Veteran's COPD is granted as service-connected due to in-service exposure to particulate matter pollution, and the Board finds that this exposure caused his current condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the Veteran's COPD and its relation to service, as well as secondary service connection for myocardial infarction with congestive heart failure. The VA is required to obtain additional medical records and provide a new opinion on the issues raised.

The Board has remanded the claims for tinnitus, COPD, asthma, and allergies due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed again as part of this process.

The claim for service connection for COPD is granted, effective August 10, 2022. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD is remanded.

The Board has granted an effective date of June 21, 2022 for a 100% rating for COPD with chronic bronchitis and hypoxemic respiratory failure. The evidence shows that the Veteran's condition worsened to the point where he required outpatient oxygen therapy on June 21, 2022.

The Veteran's service connection claim for COPD is denied. The Board finds that there is no medical or scientific evidence to support a relationship between the development of COPD and exposure to herbicides and/or asbestos.,The appeals for increased disability evaluations for coronary artery disease post CABG, scar, post CABG, and bilateral hearing loss are dismissed because they result from a prohibited concurrent election under the modernized review system. The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection for COPD is granted, but the claims for hypertension and atrial fibrillation are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's COPD is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The motion for revision of the September 23, 2008, Rating Decision denying service connection for PTSD is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disorder, including a lack of VA examination. The Veteran claims his current respiratory condition is related to exposure to CS gas during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and a review of the cause of death. The Veteran's service-connected prostate adenocarcinoma is considered, but the exact role in his death remains unclear.