Hip decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for right and left hip disabilities, as well as diverticulitis/diverticulosis. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's cervical spine, ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder conditions are being remanded for further development.,Specifically, the Board is requesting additional medical opinions to determine if these conditions are secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied service connection for a right hip disability, a lumbar back disability, and a right shoulder disability. The Veteran's claims were based on his contention that these disabilities are secondary to his service-connected left ankle disability.,VA examiners provided negative opinions regarding direct and secondary service connection for the claimed conditions.

The Board has not obtained all requested VA treatment records for the Veteran's cervical spine and right hip disabilities. The case is being remanded to obtain these records.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee, right knee, and left hip disability as they are not related to active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals.

The Board denied service connection for right and left hip disabilities, as well as right and left knee and calf disabilities. The claims were based on direct service connection rather than the presumption of undiagnosed illness or secondary to a service-connected condition.,The VA examiner found no evidence linking the hip and knee disabilities to Gulf War service or exposure to toxic chemicals.

The Veteran's left hip disability is rated at 10% and denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's right ankle/foot tendon repair residual disability with DJD is rated at 10% and denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's low back disability from May 21, 2013 to January 27, 2020 is rated at 20%, and from January 27, 2020 onwards is rated at 40%. Both ratings are denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's left foot DJD is rated at 10% from August 7, 2006 to June 12, 2015 and at 30% from June 12, 2015 onwards. Both ratings are denied a higher rating.

The Board has denied service connection for an eye disability, a psychiatric disorder, a cervical spine disability, a left hip disability, and a right hip disability. The Veteran's claim for a headache disability is remanded.,Service connection was not granted for the claimed conditions as there is no medical evidence linking them to active service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hip disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hip and lower back disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's hip disability is believed to be related to his service-connected knee disability, while his lower back disability may be secondary to both hip and knee conditions.

The Veteran's claim for SMC prior to January 13, 2020 was denied as he did not meet the criteria for SMC. However, from January 13, 2020, his TDIU based on his acquired psychiatric disability satisfied the requirement for a single disability rated total and combined with other disabilities, met the criteria for SMC.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected knee and back disabilities and his claimed left hip disability. The Veteran will be given another opportunity for an in-person examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction and urethra condition, right hip condition, and right lower extremity sciatica due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has found that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for restless leg syndrome, right hip disability, left hip disability, and right knee disability. The case will be returned to the Board after completion of this development.

The Board denied service connection for right hip disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's current conditions are not considered related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right hip and left hip conditions due to a lack of consideration of the Veteran's lay testimony regarding carrying heavy loads during military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives and failure to provide proper notice for a VA examination. The Veteran's right hip disability is being examined again to determine its etiology, whether it is related to service-connected disabilities, and if it is aggravated by those conditions.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations for bilateral ear hearing loss, right hip condition, and left knee condition are inadequate. The claims must be remanded to obtain new opinions from appropriate VA examiners.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for right hip and left hip disabilities, so the cases are dismissed.