Hip decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right hip conditions as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative changes, finding no evidence of a link between these conditions and his in-service injury or onset within one year after discharge.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left and right foot disabilities, other than pes planus, have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not service-connected as they did not occur during or due to military service. However, the Veteran's right ankle, left ankle, right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities are secondary to his service-connected flat feet.,Service connection was granted for tinnitus but denied for hearing loss.

The Veteran's heart condition (syncope) is not service connected. The claims for right and left hip disabilities secondary to the back disability are granted, as well as the claim for depressive disorder due to service-connected migraines, knee disabilities, and a back disability. The rating for migraines remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral hip and middle back disabilities are granted service connection. The claims for PTSD, cervical spine disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral ankle disability remain pending with new examinations required. TDIU is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right hip condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete examinations and lack of etiological opinions.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's right hip disability is related to an in-service injury, and thus service connection should be granted. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has decided that a remand is necessary to assess the current severity of the Veteran's left hip disability and any associated nerve damage due to potential functional loss during flare-ups or after repeated use.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine and left hip disabilities.

The petition to reopen a claim for service connection for a right hip disability is granted.,The petition to reopen a claim for service connection for a bilateral foot disability is granted.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations did not adequately consider the Veteran's in-service complaints and lay statements regarding his hip pain. Therefore, a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran’s hip disabilities began during service or are related to an incident of service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to address whether the Veteran's left hip disability is related to service, specifically his service-connected fracture of the distal right fibula.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the merits was denied. The claims were remanded for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a right hip disability was denied in 1998 and is not subject to reopening. The Board finds no basis to assign an earlier effective date for the establishment of service connection.

The Board has reopened the service connection claim for a back disability and remanded the issues of service connection for right hip and left hip disabilities. The Veteran's right ankle strain is also being remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as his right and left hip disabilities, are at least as likely as not related to active military service.

The Veteran's back and hip disability, as well as his hypertension, were granted service connection based on evidence showing they began during active duty.

The Veteran's left knee condition is granted service connection as it is related to his service-connected right hip disability.,Service connection for the Veteran's back condition and left hip condition are denied due to lack of a current diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, left hip disability, cervical spine disability, and low back degenerative disc disease have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals for these issues prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's left hip disability was granted a 70% evaluation from April 1, 2010 to March 30, 2014. From March 31, 2014 to August 26, 2014, the Veteran received a 100% evaluation due to surgical treatment necessitating convalescence. On and after October 1, 2015, the Veteran's left hip disability was granted a 50% evaluation.