Citation Nr: 18144125
Decision Date: 10/25/18	Archive Date: 10/23/18

DOCKET NO. 15-00 584A
DATE:	October 25, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for right hip disability is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Army from January 1979 to June 1993.
This matter comes to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a May 2011 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Entitlement to service connection for right hip disability is remanded.
The Veteran contends that his right hip disorder is a result of injuries sustained while on active duty.
The Board finds that further development and adjudication is necessary to comply with VA’s duty to assist the Veteran to obtain evidence needed to substantiate his claim. Specifically, the Board finds that, to ensure due process, a VA examination is needed as one has not been provided.  
In the present case, the evidence establishes current disability of the right hip.  The Veteran contends that he damaged multiple joints in service while using various tools in the performance of his duties.  Additionally, the Veteran states that his participation in his military post’s various sports teams also contributed to his present disability.  There is presently no medical opinion of record regarding nexus and accordingly an examination is necessary.  See 38 U.S.C. § 5103A (d) (2012); 38 C.F.R. § 3.159 (c)(4) (2017); McLendon v. Nicholson, 20 Vet. App. 79, 81-82 (2006).
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. The Veteran must be afforded an appropriate VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any currently diagnosed right hip disability.  All pertinent symptomatology and findings must be reported in detail and any indicated diagnostic tests and studies must be accomplished.  The claim file must be made available to the examiner, and the examiner must specify in the examination report that these records have been reviewed.  The examiner must elicit from the Veteran and record in the examination report a full history.
After a review of the evidence of record, to include the Veteran’s statements, the examiner must provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not that the currently diagnosed right hip disability is related to the Veteran’s military service.
The examiner must provide a complete rationale for all opinions expressed.  If the examiner cannot provide the requested opinion without resorting to speculation, it must be so stated, and the examiner must provide the reasons why an opinion would require speculation.  The examiner must indicate whether there was any further need for information or testing necessary to make a determination.  The examiner must indicate whether an opinion could not be rendered due to limitations of knowledge in the medical community at large and not those of the particular examiner.
2. If upon completion of the above actions the claim remains denied, the case should be returned to the Board after compliance with appellate procedures.

 
 
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	D. Baronofsky Associate Counsel