Hip Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and for further addendum opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left hip disability.

The Veteran's hymenoptera allergy and left hip condition have been granted service connection. The left hip condition is considered secondary to the use of steroids for his hymenoptera allergy.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for low back, right knee, and left knee conditions were denied due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss was granted based on in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that additional medical examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and TDIU. The issues have been remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for recurrent low back strain and service connection for a right hip disability, finding that there was no persuasive evidence to support these claims.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claimed low back, hand, hip, and foot disabilities are not service-connected due to lack of credible in-service injury history. The esophageal cancer and foot neuropathy claims have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, anemia, bilateral hand disability, and left hip disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the cases for further adjudication due to a failure to comply with VA's duty to assist and a prior remand order. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular rating criteria for a grant of TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) throughout the period at issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and the need for further examination. The Veteran's symptoms are being evaluated, including those related to his right hip, bilateral knees, and arthritis of the hands, arms, and legs.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is granted. His 10% rating for allergic rhinitis is restored, and his claims for other conditions are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and bilateral hip disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in a prior decision. The VA examiner must address whether these conditions are related to active duty service, delayed post-traumatic manifestations of injuries sustained during service, or caused by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left elbow, hip, shoulder, lumbar spine, bilateral hand, right hip, and right shoulder conditions, all of which are deemed to be direct service-connected rather than presumptively related due to Gulf War exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, left foot disability and right foot disability, bilateral knee strain (left and right), and right hip disability due to additional development being necessary.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the issues of migraines and headaches, severe body aches and joint pain, bilateral knee condition, bilateral ankle condition, sleeping disorder, bilateral wrist condition, bilateral hip condition, squamous cell carcinoma, and fatigue has been dismissed. Service connection is granted for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's right hip disability and radiculopathy. The VA examiner was directed to identify all hip disabilities found during the appeal period, including radiculopathy, and opine whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's right hip disability began in or is otherwise caused by his active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a liver disability, as secondary to his service-connected polycystic kidney disease, was denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current diagnosis of a liver disability at any time during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete development of his service treatment records and failure to verify his in-service stressor. The VA is directed to obtain all relevant medical records, including those from Florence VA clinic, and to attempt to corroborate the Veteran's reported in-service stressor.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than July 3, 2019 for the award of service connection for a left hip condition is granted. The appeal with respect to entitlement to VR&E benefits under the provisions of Chapter 31, Title 38, United States Code, is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome. The claims for other musculoskeletal disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete development and failure to address certain theories of entitlement. The AOJ is required to obtain relevant hospitalization records from 1985 and assess the Veteran's exposure to asbestos during his military service.