Hip decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to hypertension, hemorrhoids, sleep impairment, a swollen artery in the stomach, neck disability, right shoulder disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability need further examination and evaluation. The VA will obtain all relevant records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate opinions in prior decisions. The Veteran's reports of in-service and post-service symptoms are considered.

The Board denied service connection for a right hip disability, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability and the medical opinions consistently found no right hip disability.

The Board has remanded the increased rating claims for further evidentiary development due to missing VA medical records.

The Veteran's claims are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in not obtaining his military personnel records, which could have verified whether he served in the Republic of Vietnam and thus potentially exposed him to herbicide agents. The Board finds that this information is necessary for proper adjudication.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU prior to January 1, 2018 has been dismissed as she withdrew her appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her right hip disability, bilateral foot skin disability, and digestive tract disability. An effective date prior to January 4, 2013, for anemia is denied.

The Board has denied an increased rating for a fractured right ankle and remanded the issues of service connection for a bilateral hip disability and TDIU. The Veteran's attorney requested additional medical opinions on these matters.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left hip and lumbar spine disabilities are service-connected. However, the right ankle disability requires further development as there is insufficient evidence to determine its etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a low back disability and bilateral hip disabilities due to insufficient evidence, including missing service treatment records. The case will be reviewed de novo with an orthopedic examination.

The appeals for service connection and evaluation of the Veteran's disabilities have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development. The back, neck, left knee, and hip disabilities remain in appellate status.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip condition is dismissed as she is already in receipt of benefits based on her service-connected left pelvis stress fracture residuals. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a separate diagnosed left hip condition.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and initial ratings have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these issues prior to a Board decision.,Issues related to left elbow, right elbow, scrotal area, right eye, lumbar spine, left lower extremity nerve, right lower extremity nerve, and left hip disabilities are remanded for further review.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to provide a VA examination, as there is evidence of a currently diagnosed right hip disability and an in-service event (a fight during service). The Veteran's current disability may be associated with his in-service event.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not receive notice of scheduled VA examinations and finds it highly likely he did not receive them. The claims are being remanded to attempt to obtain updated contact information for the Veteran so he can be notified of these actions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied prior to October 21, 2021 due to the presence of other service-connected disabilities that allowed him to maintain substantial employment.

The Veteran's claims for neck, low back, and bilateral hip conditions have been granted. The claim for a right shoulder condition is remanded, as are the claims for left shoulder and left ankle conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's current back disability, right hip disability, bilateral foot disabilities, and migraines. The issues of service connection for a right hip disability, bilateral foot disabilities, and migraines are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The Board finds the Veteran's claims for other disabilities are not supported by competent and credible evidence, necessitating further development.