Hip decisions — 2014

The Veteran withdrew the claim for service connection for reflex sympathetic dystrophy for multiple joints including the right wrist, right elbow, right shoulder, knees, neck, hands, legs, upper back, and lower back. The claims for service connection for a left wrist condition, right hip condition, and sleep apnea were not substantiated by the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right hip disability, and her sleep impairment is related to PTSD. The low back disability was also found to be unrelated to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a low back disability that is related to service and therefore, denied his claim for service connection. The claims of secondary service connection for left hip, knee, and leg disabilities are also denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability as secondary to his service-connected left foot disability. The claims for service connection for left and right hip disabilities have been dismissed due to the Veteran's request to withdraw them.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request for a new hearing and potential issues with previous decisions. The Veteran's claims of service connection for a bone lesion, right hip disability, and bilateral knee disability are pending.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions were denied as there was no evidence of a link between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for knee and ankle disabilities were denied. The Board found that the effective dates for lumbar spine and left cheek scar disabilities could not be earlier than October 6, 2009 due to lack of prior claims. The claim for a right hip disability was granted with an effective date of October 6, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and low back disability were denied. The Board found no current hip disabilities, and the examiner could not provide an opinion regarding aggravation of preexisting conditions due to lack of medical evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current respiratory disability, such as COPD, that manifested during or due to active military service. The right hip disability claim is no longer in dispute since it was granted in a separate rating decision.

The Board has vacated its May 2012 decision and remanded the case for a new hearing before the Board in San Antonio.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left hip and right knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left hip disability prior to December 6, 2006, or for a rating in excess of 20 percent for the right knee disability prior to April 29, 2009. The effective date claim was not addressed as it was implicitly denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current neck, low back, and knee conditions are related to an in-service incident where he was thrown from a truck. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination to address whether the Veteran's right hip disability is aggravated by his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran withdrew the issues of entitlement to service connection for left hip disability, right ankle disability and left ankle disability prior to a decision being made.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a lumbar spine disability and right hip disability. The Board also found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen his claim of residuals of brain injury (PTSD). Additionally, the Board determined that there was no causal relationship between any of the claimed conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hip, left leg, and back disabilities are not related to his service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hip disability is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's left hip and bilateral foot disabilities are not service-connected. His hepatitis is service-connected, but the rating assigned is for HBV only.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck, right hand, left hand, right hip, left hip, and left foot disabilities. However, the Veteran was granted service connection for a low back disability in April 2014.,The VA examiner opined that it is at least as likely as not that any current neck, right hand, left hand, right hip, left hip, and left foot disabilities are related to and/or had their onset during the Veteran's periods of service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining pertinent VA treatment records and scheduling him for a VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.