Hip decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for left ankle degenerative arthritis and remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hip disabilities, right hip disability, and left knee disability due to secondary service connection. The claims are being reviewed again with consideration of new evidence that suggests a link between these conditions and his service-connected lumbar spine and/or right knee disabilities.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 100 percent for Meniere's Syndrome, but denied effective dates prior to January 1, 2008 for the grants of service connection for low back disability, right hip disability, and left lower extremity sciatic neuropathy.

The appeals to reopen claims of service connection for right and left hip conditions are dismissed.,The appeals to reopen claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (PTSD, depression) and a sleep disorder are granted.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss has been rated as non-compensable, and his left ear hearing loss has resulted in a combined rating of non-compensable. The Board denied an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection was granted for the Veteran's right hip condition based on evidence linking it to service. However, the claim for service connection for the right foot condition is remanded due to lack of examination documentation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a right hip disability due to insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to service. A VA examination is needed to determine if his current condition is related to his in-service injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip disability, finding no evidence of onset in service or within one year of discharge. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support secondary service connection based on sarcoidosis and steroid use, as well as obesity.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations and the provision of certain records are necessary to properly adjudicate the service connection claims for hip, ankle, and shoulder disabilities. The cases are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical neck disability, right knee disability, and right hip disability due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current low back disability is related to service, and also for consideration of secondary service connection for left hip disability.

The Veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss, low back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability have been reopened. However, the Board finds that there is no evidence to support service connection for any of these conditions.,Service connection was denied as there is insufficient evidence linking any current disabilities to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, and right knee disabilities, finding that there was no evidence to support a secondary relationship between these conditions and his service-connected foot disabilities.,The Board noted that while the Veteran had complained of bilateral hip pain for many years, medical records did not show any abnormal gait or other symptoms indicative of a secondary hip disability.

The claim to reopen the issue of entitlement to service connection for back disability and left hip disability is dismissed.,The claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, headaches, PTSD, left knee disability, and right knee disability are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete certification of the appeal, additional VA medical records submitted after the October 2019 SOC, and the need for clarification on right foot surgery history. The Veteran's claims will be readjudicated.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right hip disability, finding that it is related to his military service and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided were inadequate, as they did not consider the Veteran's lay statements about his in-service injuries. The claims for service connection are therefore being remanded to allow for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection and increased rating for his back condition, left hip condition, right hip condition, and migraine headaches due to scheduling issues with VA examinations. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate range of motion estimates during flareups and functional limitations of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hip disability. Additional development is required.

The Board has found that further development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and bilateral hip conditions, as the medical opinions provided are inadequate. The Veteran will need to undergo new VA examinations to address these issues.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets the criteria for a hearing loss for VA purposes.,The Veteran's claims for carpal tunnel syndrome, gastrointestinal disorder, left and right ankle conditions, left and right hip conditions, and migraine are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.