Hip decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, right hip condition, and increased rating for right knee disability due to incomplete medical opinions and conflicting evidence about the Veteran's right knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for lupus, right upper extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right hip disability, left hip disability, fibromyalgia, hypertension, and kidney disease. The Veteran's claims were not granted on a presumptive basis due to the lack of association between lupus and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's right and left hip conditions are granted as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities. The lung condition is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for PTSD, lumbar spine disability, left shoulder bicipital tendonitis, right hip disability, and left hip disability. The issues are still pending as a statement of the case addressing these matters has not been issued.

Service connection for bilateral pes planus, low back condition, and bilateral hip condition has been denied.,The claim for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis is pending and will be remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's right hip disability was rated at various levels from June 25, 2001, to March 17, 2020. The left hip disability was rated at various levels prior to December 8, 2008.,The decision grants increased ratings for the right and left hip disabilities.

The Veteran's low back disability was granted an initial rating of 10 percent from October 29, 2014 to January 3, 2018. Service connection for sleep apnea and left hip disability were denied. The case is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claim for another examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and to secure opinions addressing the combined effects of all service-connected disabilities on his occupational functioning. The AOJ must also obtain private treatment records and secure TDIU-related opinions from an appropriate clinician.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been denied. The initial rating for other specified trauma and stress-related disorder remains at 30 percent, right ankle residuals remain noncompensable, and there is no evidence of a compensable rating for the remaining conditions.

The Board has dismissed the claim for esophageal ulcer and remanded the claims for eosinophil esophagitis and left hip disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and right hip disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.,The earlier effective date claim for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, urinary incontinence, and headaches has been withdrawn.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral elbow, shoulder, hip, wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome, and cervical spine disabilities, as the evidence did not support a link to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA treatment records and incomplete medical opinions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for granuloma annulare and notalgia paresthetica, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, left hip condition, hammer toes of the right foot, hammer toes of the left foot, bilateral bunionectomy, bilateral flat foot, and bilateral eye condition are remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, left hip condition (secondary to right knee), hammer toes of the right foot, hammer toes of the left foot, bilateral bunionectomy, and bilateral flat foot are remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for left hip condition is remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's service connection claims for hammer toes of the right foot, hammer toes of the left foot, and bilateral bunionectomy are remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral eye condition is remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right hip disability, an acquired psychiatric disability, and a respiratory disability due to missing service treatment records.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal, leaving no issues for further consideration.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left knee, left hip, right hip, hernia, bilateral hearing loss, and psychiatric disability (PTSD) have been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure.,All other claims, including those for back disability, left ear hearing loss, depression (secondary to service-connected disabilities), left hand and right hand disabilities, sleep apnea (undiagnosed illness and/or medically unexplained chronic multi symptom illness due to exposure to environmental hazards during the Persian Gulf War) and secondary to service-connected disabilities, right hip disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability, are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left hip disabilities due to a failure to provide the Veteran with notice of his right to a pre-decisional hearing in accordance with VA regulations.