Hip decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hip disability is related to his service or caused by a service-connected right ankle disability.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic right hip disability during service or for many years thereafter, and the most probative evidence indicates that the current right hip disability is not related to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for various knee and hip disabilities, as well as a low back disability. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and readjudicating the claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's right foot disability existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying service connection for his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been reopened and are now being considered on their merits.,Service connection has been granted for left knee disability, right knee disability, chronic vaginitis, chronic UTI, GERD, IBS, hemorrhoids, thyroid condition, and sciatica.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and TDIU have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal on all issues except TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus and bilateral hearing loss. The issues were also addressed regarding right shoulder, foot, hip, and leg disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, and other conditions, based on presumed exposure to herbicides while serving in the Republic of Vietnam. The effective date is set as August 31, 2010, which is when VA added ischemic heart disease (IHD) as a presumptive disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his service-connected right ankle disability and therefore, secondary service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for further development and consideration of his claims, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting additional examinations.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, and right foot disabilities are related to his service. The Veteran's hypertension is also considered as being related to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of ADHD, left hip disability, or compartment syndrome. The preponderance of evidence is against the claims for service connection.

The Board has denied claims of service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, and left hip disability. The claim for service connection for left knee disability was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran meets the criteria for a TDIU rating due to his service-connected back, hip, and knee disabilities that limit his ability to work.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, or a shoulder disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and he also has various other disabilities in his back, hands, wrists, elbows, ankles, shoulders, and hips. The Board finds these claims are granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for reopening his service connection claims for right and left hip disabilities, finding that no new and material evidence was received since the last final denial in September 2010.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and arranging for an orthopedic examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a left lower extremity disability, encompassing the Veteran's claimed left hip, knee, and ankle conditions. The appeal of secondary service connection for these conditions to residuals of right knee GSW is granted.