Hip decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to unresolved issues regarding his claimed disabilities, including fatigue, memory loss, headaches, sleep apnea, and bilateral shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee pain. The remand requires additional medical opinions on etiology and whether these conditions are related to toxic exposure during military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in obtaining VA treatment records from Vista Imaging. The Veteran is not currently service connected for any of these conditions, and his claim for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is related to service, and remanded for further examination and opinion regarding other issues. The remaining claims are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, skin condition, low back disability, and left hip disability due to the Veteran's failure to attend scheduled examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left hip disability as secondary to her right hip disability, finding that there was not an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence supporting this claim.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for left and right hip disabilities due to a duty to assist error in the June 2020 VA opinion. The Veteran's bilateral hip disability is being evaluated based on secondary service connection.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate, particularly regarding whether the Veteran's back and hip disabilities are aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches and pseudofolliculitis barbae, but denied service connection for back disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and/or sciatica, left hip disability, right hip disability, and neck disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran has arthritis and swelling in his hands, hips, and knees. Therefore, a remand is required to schedule the Veteran for an examination to determine if he has these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and right hip disabilities have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence that tends to prove or disprove a matter at issue with respect to these claims. The AOJ will readjudicate the claims, taking into consideration all of the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 27, 2013 for the grant of service connection for low back and right hip disabilities are denied.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her low back and right hip disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable prior to June 3, 2019 and at a 10 percent rating thereafter. The Board found the evidence did not support an increased rating for this condition.,Service connection for right shoulder degenerative arthritis, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, low back disability, cervical spine disability, right foot disability, left foot disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right knee disability, left knee condition, right hip disability, and left hip disability is remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral degenerative disc and joint disease is rated at 20 percent effective September 26, 2018. Service connection for right hip disability, right thigh disability, left hip disability, and left thigh disability are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip and left hip conditions due to a lack of a VA examination, as required by the Appeals Modernization Act.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The VA examiner is required to provide a clear rationale for the medical opinion regarding direct service connection and secondary service connection (causation and aggravation).

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a left hip disability, finding that there is no persuasive evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional information from a VA examiner. The issue of TDIU prior to September 5, 2019 is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include telangiectasia associated with scars / vasculitis, headaches, and a left hip disability.

The Veteran's right leg below-the-knee amputation, left knee disability, and right hip disability are being remanded due to the need for further development. The claim for migraines has been denied.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for his migraines, but the evidence does not support this claim.