Hip decisions — 2019

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for DM II and left eye condition, as well as several other issues related to the Veteran's disabilities. The appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate August 2014 VA medical opinion and a need for further development, including obtaining a new VA opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's left hip disability.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues have been remanded for further development.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral ear hearing loss, right hip condition, and left knee condition. The claims are being remanded to obtain necessary medical records and conduct further examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claim for a new VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hip disability is related to his military service, specifically his long hours of physically strenuous labor as a 290-M tractor operator in Alaska.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals of the initial ratings assigned for various service-connected disabilities, including Traumatic Brain Injury, Cervical Spine Disability, Left Shoulder Disability, Right Shoulder Disability, Lumbar Spine Disability, and others.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches and tinnitus. The remaining issues of service connection for various disabilities are remanded.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee, right ankle, left hip, low back strain, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), and headaches conditions as they may be related to his service-connected flat feet condition.,For the heart condition claim, a new VA examination is required due to conflicting in-service medical records.

The Veteran's back and hip disabilities are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to the November 2018 NAS report finding sufficient evidence of association with herbicide exposure.,A disability rating greater than 50 percent for PTSD is remanded.,,

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip condition, finding that there was no evidence of pre-existing disability and insufficient medical opinion to link current symptoms to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain additional medical records and arrange for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including whether they are related to service in Southwest Asia.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and rating for right hip disability, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease (DDD). The Veteran's right hip disability is being reviewed due to an inadequate November 2018 VA examination. A new addendum opinion addressing the etiology of the right hip disability must be obtained. Right knee and back disabilities are also being remanded for a new examination with a different examiner, as the November 2018 VA examiner's opinions were based on examinations not conducted during flare-ups or after repeated use.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lower back disability and hip disability. The Veteran must be scheduled for appropriate VA examinations to determine the nature, status, and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for low back and left hip disabilities on a secondary basis to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip condition, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability and that any pain experienced by the Veteran is related to his service-connected lumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's skin disability, headache disorder, and right hip disability were granted initial ratings. The left ankle and right ankle disabilities were denied increased ratings.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip disability is reopened, and the case is remanded to determine if it is related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected back and knee conditions.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition has been granted. The Board found that new evidence related to the unestablished fact necessary to substantiate this claim, which is the onset and etiology of the claimed condition.

The Veteran's right elbow condition and right hip condition are denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee (previously referred to as left patellar enthesopathy) with left posteromedial tibial stress reaction (shin splits) and patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee (previously referred to as right patellar enthesopathy) with right posteromedial tibial stress reaction are denied due to lack of in-service injury or disease.