Hip decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back and left hip disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions addressing whether PTSD caused obesity, which is a factor in causing the claimed disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including a lumbar spine condition, right and left knee condition, right and left wrist condition, right and left hip condition, right and left ankle condition, and bilateral pulmonary condition. The Veteran's claims are remanded to schedule him for a VA examination regarding his bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities, and because he was exposed to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran is not entitled to presumptive service connection based on exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claims for head injury and scar due to head injury have been denied as there is no current diagnosis associated with these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for ulcerative colitis has been remanded as the evidence is conflicting regarding her diagnosis, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if she has had this condition at any point during the appeal period and whether it is related to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left hip disability due to new evidence received since the last denial. The issues of rating in excess of 20 percent for right hip arthritis with trochanteric bursitis, compensable ratings for right hip limited extension and abduction, and TDIU are all remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the service connection issue.

The Veteran's claims for left foot plantar fasciitis and left hip disability are granted. The right hip disability claim is remanded due to conflicting evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and reopening of previously denied claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying in-service stressors.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's right hip condition is denied as not related to active duty.,A noncompensable disability rating for allergic rhinitis prior to January 23, 2023, is denied.,A 10 percent disability rating for allergic rhinitis since January 23, 2023, is granted.,The Veteran's sinusitis does not meet the criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's right hip disability is currently rated at 70 percent, effective October 4, 2021. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5054.,For his left hip abduction disability, the Veteran seeks increased ratings of 40 and 20 percent for limitation of abduction and extension respectively. However, there are no provisions in the rating schedule for these specific combinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and hip disabilities due to a lack of adequate examinations and medical opinions addressing all theories of entitlement.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, left hip disability, and left wrist musculoskeletal disability before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left hip disabilities due to a lack of current disability evidence. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling an in-person examination.

The Veteran's asthma is granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure during the Persian Gulf War.,The Veteran's left hip disability and residuals of a flash burn injury to the left eye, including headaches, are remanded for further development.,Service connection for these conditions will be reconsidered based on additional evidence or examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back, right hip, and left hip disabilities due to conflicting opinions regarding aggravation by service-connected knee disabilities. The case is returned for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, migraine headache disability, vision disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to incomplete records and lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and increased ratings due to the Veteran's withdrawal of those claims. The left hip disability issue is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that the RO did not schedule VA medical examinations for the Veteran before deciding his claims, and thus there is a pre-decisional error. The claims are REMANDED to allow for VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, sleep disorder, acquired psychiatric disability (anxiety), back disability, right hip condition, left hip condition, right foot condition, left foot condition, right eye condition, and left upper eyelid chalazion have all been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.,The Veteran's claims for right knee disability and left knee disability have also been denied due to the lack of current evidence of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for entitlement to increased ratings for left hip disability, right hip disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to procedural issues.