The Veteran's bilateral hip condition, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, is being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain.
The deciding factor: The Board found the October 2009 VA examiner's opinion insufficient due to its speculative nature and failure to address pertinent evidence and theories of entitlement.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hip condition, osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 6, 2015
- Citation
- 1528725
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 1528725.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted an increase in PCAFC benefits to Level 2, finding that the Veteran requires continuous supervision or protection due to his cognitive decline and repeated falls.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that it is neither secondary to his service-connected right femoral neuropathy nor directly related to his active-duty service.
- Granted
The Veteran's headaches, bilateral hip condition, lumbosacral strain, left knee condition, and left ankle strain are all granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD. A disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD is also granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar spine condition, diagnosed as osteoarthritis and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, has been granted service connection since it began in service following his fall in 1972.
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