The Board found that the Veteran's current left lower extremity conditions, including his left hip arthritis, were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability. The Board concluded that the Veteran's left hip arthritis was more likely due to pre-existing degenerative changes rather than a result of the 2007 injury.
The deciding factor: The examiner determined that the Veteran's current left hip arthritis did not have its onset within one year of separation from service and was not caused by his active service. The April 2007 incident with the trencher did not cause or aggravate the Veteran's pre-existing left hip condition.
- Claimed conditions
- left hip arthritis, left thigh and gluteal muscle strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2015
- Citation
- 1518046
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1518046.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for left hip arthritis, right hip arthritis, type II diabetes, right lower extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, and sleep apnea as they have become service-connected in other rating decisions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for low back arthritis, bilateral knee arthritis, and left hip arthritis due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors and the need for additional medical opinions regarding his liver disorder, heart disorder, erectile dysfunction, edema, right hip arthritis, and left hip arthritis.
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