Hip decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case for obtaining a Social Security earnings report to determine the Veteran's income from October 2015 to the present. The TDIU claim remains denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for acne, herpes, right ankle pain, left ankle pain, low back pain, right hip condition, left hip condition, esophageal reflux, tinea versicolor, insomnia, and stress incontinence due to additional VA treatment records being added to her case file.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's lower back condition is related to his active service and grants entitlement to service connection. The bilateral hip condition claim, including secondary service connection for a left knee disability-related condition, is remanded due to lack of VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left hip disabilities, back disability, and PTSD have been denied. The VA has granted a separate 10% rating for the Veteran's right ankle disability and left ankle disability.

The Board has found that the Veteran's appeals for right and left hip conditions, lumbosacral strain, a right ankle scar, and hypertensive vascular disease were not valid under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) procedures. The issues are now being remanded to address these procedural deficiencies.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The gastrointestinal condition, including GERD and diarrhea, and the bilateral hip disabilities are remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain adequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities. The VA examiner is instructed to consider the service treatment records and the Veteran's lay statements of his injuries during active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and need for medical opinions regarding his service-connected left knee disability, as well as his claimed right knee, hip, and lumbar radiculopathy disabilities. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, respiratory disability (to include COPD, chronic bronchitis, and chronic cough), bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and diabetes mellitus type II are not supported by the evidence. The appeals have been remanded to allow further development.

The Veteran's vertigo, seizure disorder, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability (lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar spondylolisthesis, and spondylosis with radiculopathy), diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, bilateral eye disability, tinnitus, hypertension, chronic memory loss disability, chronic headache disability, major depressive disorder, right foot disability, right knee disability, arthritis, left foot disability, left knee disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability are not supported by evidence of record.,The Veteran's service connection claims for vertigo, seizure disorder, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability (lumbar spinal stenosis, lumbar spondylolisthesis, and spondylosis with radiculopathy), diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, bilateral eye disability, tinnitus, hypertension, chronic memory loss disability, chronic headache disability, major depressive disorder, right foot disability, right knee disability, arthritis, left foot disability, left knee disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee conditions as secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability. The Veteran's obesity is also considered an intermediate step in this causal chain.,Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine (claimed as back condition) has also been granted as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, right knee and left knee disabilities, right hip and left hip disabilities, diabetes, and hypertension have been granted service connection. The Veteran is currently receiving a 20% rating for his lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left ankle conditions, as well as right and left hand and fingers conditions, and right and left hip conditions due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's bilateral eye disability is granted as service-connected. The Board finds the evidence supports a nexus between the Veteran's bilateral eye disability and his military service, but further development is needed for other conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The cases for bilateral tinea pedis, left hip condition, and erectile dysfunction are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right hip and low back disabilities are found to have had their onset in service, warranting service connection. However, the claim for a left hip disability is remanded as it may be secondary to his service-connected left ankle and/or left knee disabilities.,Service connection has been granted for right trigeminal neuropathy with an effective date of April 27, 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence added since the November 2019 Statement of the Case and additional VA examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for musculoskeletal disabilities, including bilateral hips, knees and left wrist conditions. The VA medical opinions obtained following the July 2022 Board remand are inadequate and require further examination.

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at a 10 percent prior to April 24, 2023 and at a 40 percent thereafter. The left hip condition remains unresolved.,Service connection for the left hip condition is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD is dismissed.,Service connection for headaches as secondary to the service-connected cervical spine disability is granted, but a right hip disability and obstructive sleep apnea claims are denied.