Hip decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the grant of special monthly pension benefits, and thus the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran does not have a right hip disability or lumbar spine disability that were caused or aggravated by his service, or by a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA examination to address the Veteran's spine and hip disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to properly adjudicate the appellant's claims, including obtaining VA and SSA records, conducting a psychiatric examination, and providing VCAA notice.

The Board denied service connection for a hip disability on both direct and secondary bases, but granted service connection for residuals of a shrapnel wound to the back.

The Veteran's neck, low back, and bilateral hip disabilities are being remanded for further development to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal involves claims for service connection for left knee, left hip, and low back disabilities. The Board has determined that additional development is needed due to the need for a new VA examination regarding his left knee disability and secondary service connection issues.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder, right hip, and right leg disabilities due to the lack of competent medical evidence showing current diagnoses or a link between these conditions and active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C. The issues of back and left hip disabilities, as well as TDIU, are pending.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected left hip disability was granted, with the effective date being August 4, 2010. The rating assigned is now 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hip and thigh conditions are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has denied service connection for back disability, hip disability, and right leg disability as there is no competent evidence or opinion linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied all service connection claims, finding no evidence of a nexus between the claimed disabilities and active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or incident related to the current condition and that any current right hip disability is less likely caused by his service-connected left and right knee disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The claims of service connection for a left hip disability, including as secondary to degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and an increased initial rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine are denied. The TDIU claim is also denied.

The Veteran's low back and bilateral hip disabilities are not service-connected as they do not have a direct relationship to his military service. The Board finds that the current conditions are not related to any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's right hip and right knee disabilities are being remanded for further examination to determine their relationship to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge (VLJ). The claims of service connection for various disabilities are pending.

The Veteran's right knee disability, bilateral hip disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, polymyalgia rheumatica, back disability, neck disability, and weight gain and obesity are not considered service-connected as they are deemed to be secondary to his service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disability, right hip disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.