The Board granted service connection for right and left hip disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service marches carrying heavy equipment and making over 40 airborne jumps.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran based on his lay statements, buddy statement, STRs, and a positive private medical nexus letter.
- Claimed conditions
- right hip disability, variously diagnosed as osteoarthritis with femoral acetabular impingement syndrome and degenerative joint disease, left hip disability, variously diagnosed as osteoarthritis with femoral acetabular impingement syndrome, degenerative joint disease, degenerative arthritis, bursitis, and tendinopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- May 19, 2025
- Citation
- A25044705
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability but denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee disability prior to April 25, 2019.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a right hip disability, and granted a 30 percent rating for ureterolithiasis. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, while other claims were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral foot disability, respiratory disability (breathing difficulty), cardiac disability (irregular heartbeat), and right hip disability as there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to active service.
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