COPD — all decisions

The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and heart failure to obtain adequate VA examinations and opinions considering all toxic exposures and theories of entitlement.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of COPD to ensure adequate compliance with previous remand directives, including addressing potential aggravation by service-connected lung cancer and considering toxic exposure risk activities related to asbestos.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and kidney disability, finding insufficient evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's military service.

The Veteran's bronchiectasis with COPD was granted a 100% disability rating effective from December 5, 2023. Prior to May 9, 2023, the condition resulted in at worst FEV-1 of 56 percent predicted and DLCO of 56 percent predicted; from May 9, 2023 to December 4, 2023, it resulted in near constant coughing with purulent sputum requiring antibiotic usage almost continuously. From December 5, 2023, the condition resulted in hypoxic respiratory failure and outpatient oxygen therapy.

The Veteran's service-connected recurrent pneumonia with lung scarring has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to the combined effects of his service-connected disability and other non-service-connected respiratory conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether COPD is secondary to CHF. The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, including as secondary to CHF, remains pending.

Service connection for emphysema and COPD is granted, effective March 16, 2020. An effective date of March 16, 2020, for TDIU is also granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for clarification on whether the Veteran's COPD would not have occurred without his in-service exposure to asbestos and other toxic substances.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate compliance with previous remand instructions regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected residuals of lung adenocarcinoma status post right lower lobe lobectomy, as distinguished from other nonservice-connected lung disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for COPD, bladder cancer, and a heart condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including sinus and COPD, due to its complexity and need for additional medical opinions. The Appellant contends that the Veteran's PTSD and OSA caused or aggravated his respiratory condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA opinions and a need for further development, including obtaining a new VA opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's claimed conditions and his in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that it is not related to his in-service pneumonia or allergic rhinitis and is more likely due to his history of smoking. The Board also found that COPD was not aggravated by his service-connected OSA, lung scarring, or allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's asthma has been granted a disability rating of 60 percent, but no greater. The other issues have not met the criteria for increased ratings.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's respiratory disorder and its relationship to service, particularly exposure to air conditioning and tropical climates in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability other than allergic rhinitis, including sinusitis, COPD, and emphysema. The issues of service connection for a skin disability and TDIU prior to September 15, 2017 are also pending.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from December 22, 2022. The Board granted entitlement to a TDIU due to this condition.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use was denied as she does not meet the criteria set forth in CFR 3.350(a) for SMC under 38 U.S.C. 1114(k).

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 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.