Hip decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's current cervical spine, lumbar spine, bilateral knee, and bilateral hip disabilities are not related to his service. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal of the claims for service connection for thoracolumbar spine, right hip and right knee disabilities and a bilateral eye disorder prior to the Board's decision.

The Board denied entitlement to an effective date earlier than March 7, 2005 for PTSD and denied reopening of claims for left leg, hip, and neck disabilities. The Veteran's low back disability was found to be service connected as secondary to his service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the left foot.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a hip disability or lumbar spine disability caused by her service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, and low back disabilities have been denied as there is no evidence of such conditions during the pendency of her claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left knee, left hip and right hip disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted effective October 13, 2005, based on his combined service-connected disability rating of 80 percent from that date.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issue of right hip disability is being remanded due to the need for a more comprehensive examination.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to address the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his bilateral hip disability manifested during service. The appellant also seeks accrued benefits for TDIU, which requires clarification on whether the Veteran was receiving SSA disability benefits.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for bilateral hip disability, cervical spine disability, hiatal hernia and deformity with spasticity of duodenal bulb, numbness with burning dysesthesia, degenerative disc disease at L4-5, and radiculopathy of the left leg. The appeal was dismissed.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence linking the veteran's current disabilities with service, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left hip disability and low back disability.

The Veteran's claims for right leg and left hip disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining in-patient records from U.S. Army Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany.

The Veteran seeks service connection for various back and leg disabilities, including degenerative arthritis with spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board found no evidence that any current disabilities of the Veteran's knees or hips are related to service, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a change in hearing officer and the Veteran's request for a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right knee, left knee, right hip, pulmonary disorder, cardiovascular disorder, and bilateral hearing loss were denied as there is no evidence of a chronic onset during active duty or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hip disability is not related to her service and therefore, she does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left hip and lumbar spine disabilities, affect a single body system (orthopedic) and her overall combined rating is 70 percent. The Board finds that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities, thus granting TDIU.