Hip decisions — 2024

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed. The Board found no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran did not provide sufficient medical evidence to establish a link between his current disabilities and service.,The Veteran was also denied an increased rating for duodenitis with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as there is no evidence showing severe symptoms that would warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right foot, left foot, and hip disabilities have been denied. The Veteran is granted initial 10 percent ratings for his service-connected right knee scar and left knee.,A TDIU has been granted based on the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities rendering him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for a left hip condition, finding that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of such a condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee, bilateral foot/lower extremity disorders, and left hip disabilities. The VA will provide a new examination with an opinion on whether these conditions are related to or aggravated by her service-connected left ankle residuals status post Achilles tendon rupture.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for higher ratings for his right hip disability and for service connection for IBS. The appeal of these issues must be denied.

The Veteran's left and right hip disabilities are granted a combined rating of 20 percent, effective February 22, 2021. The acquired psychiatric disability is granted a 70 percent rating, effective February 17, 2021. Service connection for residuals of TBI is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left and right hip conditions due to a lack of medical nexus opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to service, specifically carrying heavy equipment while running as part of his MOS.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims for the Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, low back condition, jaundice, left hip condition as secondary to a service-connected low back condition, and right hip condition as secondary to a service-connected low back condition.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are caused by his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder. The claims for increased ratings for left and right hip disabilities based on limitation of abduction, flexion, and extension are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations due to incomplete development, including a missing medical report and an addendum opinion on the nature and etiology of his TBI. The AOJ is instructed to obtain the missing report and provide an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran has a current disability related to a TBI and if so, whether it is related to service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including cervical spine disability, left forehead scar, bilateral hip disability, right shoulder nerve damage as secondary to his cervical spine disability, migraines, and pes planus. The Veteran must be afforded VA examinations on these matters.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral foot disability due to a lack of current diagnoses or persistent/recurrent symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for left shoulder, right hand, left hand, right hip, and left hip disabilities. The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred during active service, but the evidence does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptoms for his other claimed conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for a right wrist condition and remanded the cases of right hip, left hip, and major depression with unspecified anxiety disorder. The Veteran is required to provide additional evidence or opinions regarding his hip conditions and major depression.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed right ankle, left ankle, left knee, and right hip disabilities as secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine spondylosis due to a lack of current diagnoses.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle, right ankle, left hip, right hip, left knee, right knee, and back disabilities due to a lack of competent and probative evidence indicating current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for chronic sinusitis was dismissed as moot because the claim had already been fully granted with an effective date of October 18, 2021. The claims for GERD and IBS were remanded due to a duty to assist error in scheduling VA examinations. The bilateral hip, ankle, wrist, and shoulder disabilities were also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right hip disabilities as secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities due to a duty-to-assist error in the August 2021 rating decision. The Veteran contends that his altered gait from his knees caused his hips, and he wants an opinion on whether this is at least as likely as not.

The Veteran's GERD and ankle, knee, hip disabilities were all denied increased ratings.,Specifically, the Veteran's GERD was rated at 10 percent, his right ankle disability at 10 percent, his left knee and right knee disabilities at 10 percent each, his left hip disability based on limitation of extension at 10 percent, his left hip disability based on limitation of flexion at 10 percent, and his right hip disability based on limitation of abduction at 10 percent.

The Veteran has withdrawn their appeal regarding the issues of increased evaluations for service-connected left hip femoral acetabular impingement syndrome, limitation of extension, right hip condition, limitation of abduction, left lower extremity scar, left hip, and for entitlement to service connection for a bilateral foot condition.