Hip decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hip, knee, and elbow disabilities due to insufficient opinions regarding their relationship to service.

The Board has granted service connection for neck, throat, right knee, and left hip disabilities. Service connection was also dismissed for a chest pain condition.,Issues related to lip papilloma, left toe disability, and lip papilloma residuals are still pending and require further examination.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral shoulder, ankle, elbow, wrist, cervical spine, and hip disabilities. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.,Service connection was also denied for tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his left ankle disability does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.,His sleep apnea, PTSD-related, and bilateral hip/knee disabilities are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his left hip disability prior to August 28, 2014 was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes. For periods after July 1, 2015 and up to March 22, 2021, the Veteran's disability was rated at 30 percent based on moderately severe residuals of weakness, pain, or limitation of motion. As of March 22, 2021, a higher rating of 50 percent for moderately severe residuals with additional functional impairment was granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, and bilateral lower extremity sciatica due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred during active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right and left knee disabilities, left great toe disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), unspecified residuals of a car accident, right hip disability, left shoulder disability, congestive heart failure, and residuals of cat scratch fever have been granted. The claim for dental disability for compensation purposes remains denied.

The Board has determined that new evidence submitted by the Veteran after a previous denial of his claim for service connection for a right hip disability is relevant and warrants readjudication. The case is now remanded to determine if the right hip disability is related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented her from securing and following substantially gainful employment from August 2, 2018 to October 31, 2020.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability and a right hip disability, finding that the disabilities are related to active service due to aggravation of pre-existing conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disability but dismissed the claim of service connection for a right hip disability due to the Veteran's failure to respond to requests for clarification and additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and ratings have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with its prior remand directives and thus the case is being remanded again for an adequate medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left hip disability and its relationship to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's right bicep tendinitis is granted as service connected. The Board finds the Veteran's cervical spine, hip, and wrist disabilities are not related to his active duty or any other service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right hip and lumbar spine disabilities due to a lack of a medical opinion addressing the etiology of these conditions. The Veteran served in the Marine Corps, where he experienced physical training that included long hikes and obstacle courses.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current right hip disability is proximately due to or caused by his service-connected right heel disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip condition, finding no current diagnosis of such disability and thus not meeting one of the elements required for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and a back disability as secondary to his service-connected scar, residual of left leg injury. The claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for right hip disability is also denied.,Service connection was not granted for tinnitus because there is no evidence that it began in service or within the one-year presumptive period after service. The Board found that the Veteran's current tinnitus is more likely related to his non-service-connected bilateral hearing loss.,Regarding the back disability, the Board determined that it is less likely than not secondary to the service-connected left leg injury. The examiner noted that there was no indication of permanent neurological damage from the left leg injury and that the back disability began several decades after the left leg injury.