Hip decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss or left knee disability related to service. For his right hip disability, there is no evidence of causation or aggravation by a service-connected condition.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a video conference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge of the Board. The issues are about service connection for a left hip disability and an increased rating for right shoulder disability.

The veteran withdrew her appeals for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation.,She was denied service connection for various conditions including left shoulder, knee, cervical spine, lumbar spine, left ankle, left hip, and generalized arthritis. She also had a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a fractured right clavicle for the period prior to February 23, 2000, but not from April 1, 2001, forward. Her scar evaluations were also denied.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the veteran's right hip disability is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and left hip condition, as well as his increased rating claims for frostbite of the right hand and left hand. The evidence did not support the veteran's contention that he had these conditions due to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for low back disorders and left hip condition, finding no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the service connection claims related to right hip disability resulting in hip replacement, residuals of foot surgery, and a heart disease including hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip disability due to new and material evidence. However, the case is REMANDED for further development including obtaining an examination and medical records from SSA.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for compensation benefits under section 1151 of the U.S.C.A. due to a lack of competent evidence indicating that his left hip condition was caused by VA's November 2000 left hip replacement surgery.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hip disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not proximately due to a service-connected disability. The claim for an increased rating for left knee residuals of injury to the medial meniscus with traumatic arthritis is denied as there is no clinical evidence of instability, and limitation of extension does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right hip and back disabilities are not related to his service-connected right knee injury postoperative residuals.,VA medical examinations have found no current evidence of a nexus between the veteran's service-connected right knee disability and either his right hip or back disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral hip disability, cataracts, and a tumor of the back. The appeals were based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Board has determined that the VA's duties to notify and assist have not been fulfilled for this issue, and thus the case is being returned to the RO/AMC for further development.

The veteran's claims for various orthopedic and psychiatric conditions were denied as the evidence did not establish that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for Systemic Lupus Erythematous and Left Hip Disability, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, as well as his claim for residuals of smoking. The decision also noted that discontinuance of the vocational rehabilitation program was warranted.

The veteran's minor children are receiving additional VA compensation for his service-connected disabilities. The veteran is not reasonably discharging his responsibility to support his minor children, and a general apportionment of the veteran's VA disability compensation in the amount of the additional disability compensation he receives for his minor children from November 29, 2002 is granted.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for lumbosacral strain due to a compression fracture at D12-L1, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board found that the veteran's right, left knee, and left hip disabilities were not proximately caused by VA medical care. The surgeries performed in 1973 did not result in additional disability.