Hip decisions — 2015

The Veteran does not have a back disability, to include a left lower extremity nerve disability, a neck disability, a knee disability, a shoulder disability, an ankle disability, or a hip disability, that is related to his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee, left hip, and right hip disabilities are not related to his military service. The preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee and hip disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions. The Board also found that his current bilateral knee and hip disabilities are not due to or aggravated by his service-connected pes planus.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to address direct and secondary service connection (causation and aggravation) of the Veteran's right knee and bilateral hip disabilities, considering both left and right ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner to address whether the Veteran's left knee condition is a developmental defect or disease of congenital, developmental, or familial origin. The claims for right knee and left hip disabilities are inextricably intertwined with the claim for service connection for a left knee disability.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back disability, but denied the claim for service connection of a left hip disability as it is not related to service or the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased rating for migraine headaches and service connection for sleep apnea. The right hip disability claim was reopened, but denied as there is no current diagnosed right hip disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a right shoulder disability, a right hip disability, and a back disability are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide new examinations.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the September 1990 rating decision, but granted service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity with an effective date of May 25, 2011. The Veteran's claims for right hip disability and left knee disability were not addressed as they were secondary to lumbar spondylosis.

The Board has remanded the case for further adjudication due to a need for additional development, including an examination of the Veteran's bilateral hip disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding his right leg disability. The inextricably intertwined issues of back and bilateral hip disabilities are also being remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain medical records and ensure the Veteran's claims are properly adjudicated. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the proximate cause of his death was an unforeseeable event (developing ileus), which occurred during post-operative care at VA. The Board finds that neither the service-connected disabilities nor any other condition contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary due to the inconsistency in the diagnosis of arthritis and the lack of objective evidence supporting the Veteran's claim. The case is therefore REMANDED for further action.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for bilateral knee, hip, back disabilities, diabetes mellitus, retinopathy, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities. The Veteran's current conditions are presumed unrelated to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and non-VA treatment records, as well as STRs from his second period of service. The Veteran will also undergo an orthopedic examination to determine the etiology of any hip disorders, and a VA audiologic examination to determine if hearing loss and tinnitus are related to military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability has been denied as there is no current evidence of such a condition.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's right hip disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected back disability, and has therefore remanded the case for further action.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and its associated secondary disabilities (eye disability, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, and kidney disability) due to presumed exposure to herbicides during active duty. Service connection was also granted for bilateral hearing loss as a result of in-service noise exposure.