Hip decisions — 2011

The Veteran seeks service connection for right and left hip disabilities that are claimed as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board found that the appellant's current left knee and left hip disabilities were not related to his service, specifically the May 1983 INACTDUTRA injury. As a result, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a left hip disability, to include left hip numbness and pain, related to the Veteran's in-service injury from an IED explosion. The right ankle disability is rated at 10%.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right hip disability and flat feet, finding that there was no evidence to support permanent aggravation in service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for certification for automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and left hip disabilities. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a video hearing. The appeal will be handled in an expeditious manner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hip disability is not related to his service, including presumed herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's hearing loss, knee and hip disabilities were not shown to be incurred or aggravated by his military service. The Board found that the pre-existing conditions did not increase in severity during service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, neck, right knee, left hip, and heat stroke disabilities. The claim is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing sedentary employment.

The Veteran's claim for reopening the post-polio syndrome (previously characterized as poliomyelitis) was reopened due to new evidence being submitted. However, his claims for bilateral knee and hip disabilities were denied as they are not related to service or a service-connected disability.,Bilateral knee and hip disabilities have not been shown by competent clinical or lay evidence to be causally related to the Veteran's active service, nor causally related to, or aggravated by, a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's actinic keratoses are rated at a 30 percent rating, effective from April 2006. The Board finds that the evidence warrants this uniform rating for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of her disabilities are being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, pes planus, bilateral ankle and knee disabilities, bilateral hip disabilities, and a low back disability. The Board found that there was no evidence of aggravation or pre-existing conditions in service.

The Board denied service connection for various foot, ankle, knee, hip, and low back conditions as well as bilateral eye conditions. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip disability, bilateral ankle disability, and bilateral foot disability. Specifically, a VA examination is required to determine if these disabilities are proximately due or aggravated by his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's right hip disability is aggravated by his service-connected right knee disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen any of these claims. The Veteran was also denied a higher rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability, and the claimed conditions are not related to his military service.