Hip decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, finding that the Veteran's injuries were caused by his own willful misconduct.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete records and potential need for additional examinations or opinions.

The appeal as to whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for right hip disability is dismissed as moot.,The appeal as to whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral flatfoot is dismissed as moot.,New and material evidence having been received, the claim for entitlement to service connection for left hip disability is reopened.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip condition, low back condition, and bilateral hearing loss were all denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right wrist, left hip, and left abdomen (claimed as groin injury) conditions due to a recent Federal Circuit decision that pain alone can qualify as a disability. The case is now remanded for further examination to assess functional impairment.

The Board has remanded several claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying the Veteran's service stressors. The claims of service connection for various conditions are also being considered.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, prostate cancer, right hip disability, arthritis, eczema, elbow disability, gout, hypertension, and bilateral hand and foot neurological disabilities have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during or after the period of service.,Service connection cannot be granted because the Veteran has not provided any medical or other evidence linking his current diagnoses to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal disabilities, including of the bilateral feet, knees, hips, lumbar spine, and chronic joint pain, as well as peripheral neuropathy. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of current disability in any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's neck, low back, right hip, and bilateral foot disabilities are being reviewed again as new evidence suggests a possible link to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and left hip condition, both claimed as arthritis of the lower back and neck respectively, secondary to his service-connected right hip condition. The cervical condition remains under review.

The Veteran's initial ratings for bilateral plantar fasciitis of the feet have been granted. The case has been remanded to determine if service connection is warranted for a right hip disability.

The Veteran's left hip disability is being remanded for an updated examination to determine if it is proximately due or aggravated by his service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine and bilateral hip conditions, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including shoulder, elbow, neck, hip, left knee, right knee, left ankle, arm, leg, hand, sinusitis, heart, hypertension, stomach, cancer, foot, diabetes mellitus, brain injury, and seizure disability. The decision was based on the lack of competent evidence supporting these claims.,The Board also remanded service connection for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, respiratory disability, headache, earlier effective date for right ankle disability, and service connection for a disability of the hips.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions.

The Board has determined that additional development is required before the appeal can be decided, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present back disability, hip disability, residuals of a chest injury (scar tissue), and residuals of viral syndrome (memory loss).

The Board has remanded several service connection claims, including for status post fractured coccyx and various cold injury residuals. The Veteran's ulcerative colitis claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for right shoulder, left shoulder, right hip, and left ankle disabilities due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection issues.

The Board has granted service connection for an ulcer disability. The issues of service connection for the remaining conditions are remanded.

The Board has determined that more development is necessary before final adjudication of the claims on appeal, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities and whether they are related to service.