Hip decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cervical spine, bilateral shoulder, bilateral knee, and bilateral hip conditions due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection and increased rating in excess of 30 percent for various conditions, including tinnitus, left knee condition, left hip condition, right shoulder condition, syncopal episode, and right knee condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for the claimed hip and knee disabilities, and thus service connection cannot be granted. The claims of entitlement to service connection for ED, left knee disability, low back disability, and right ankle disability are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of a right hip condition as secondary to bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions and reliance on an inaccurate factual premise.

The Veteran's claim of an initial increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis is dismissed. The claim for service connection for a right hip condition is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip disability as secondary to his service-connected bilateral plantar fasciitis, finding that the current disability was causally linked to his service-connected condition.

The Board remands the matter for a complete VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hip disability in substantial compliance with previous remand requests.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and right hip disability due to inadequate previous medical opinions. The VA is required to obtain new addendum medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of these disabilities, considering all relevant evidence including the Veteran's statements of continuous symptoms since service.

The Board has denied service connection for low back, left hip, right hip, and right leg conditions claimed as pain and limited range of motion, all secondary to the Veteran's service-connected status post intramedullary rodding of the left tibia. The evidence did not show a current disability in these areas.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since October 1, 2015. The Board has granted a TDIU effective June 14, 2018.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of cervical spine condition, left hip condition, right hip condition, and lumbar spine condition as these claims have been resolved in favor of the Veteran by a prior decision.

The Board has identified pre-decisional duty to assist errors and has remanded the claims for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing new examinations.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for a right hip condition and upper and lower extremity cold exposure, as there is no evidence of current disability or functional impairment related to these conditions during active duty.

The Veteran's left hip disability is granted as secondary to service-connected degenerative arthritis of the left knee and lateral collateral ligament sprain of the left ankle.,Service connection for a right hip disability, including degenerative arthritis and right hip strain, is denied.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. No service connection decisions have been made for any of the listed conditions.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was granted service connection. The left ankle condition claim is dismissed due to procedural defects. Other claims for various conditions are remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee, ankle, foot, hip disabilities and cervical spine disability. The evidence did not show a current disability or any related symptoms that caused impairment in earning capacity during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's left hip disability is rated at 10 percent for limitation of adduction prior to March 7, 2023 and at 10 percent for limitation of flexion from that date. The right hip disability is rated at 10 percent for limitation of adduction and no higher ratings are granted. A compensable rating is assigned for the left thigh scar.

The appeals for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, right hip disability, and left hip disability are dismissed as the grant of service connection in the rating decisions represents a total grant of the benefits sought on appeal.,For the period prior to May 18, 2023, all increased disability rating claims for the Veteran's left knee disability, back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU are dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.