Citation Nr: 21041689 Decision Date: 07/09/21 Archive Date: 07/09/21 DOCKET NO. 17-36 221 DATE: July 9, 2021 ORDER Service connection for a left hip disability is granted. Service connection for a right hip disability is granted. FINDINGS OF FACT 1. The Veteran's left hip disability is related to his service-connected bilateral knee disability. 2. The Veteran's right hip disability is related to his service-connected bilateral knee disability. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW 1. The criteria to establish service connection for a left hip disability have been met. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 1131, 5107 (2012); 38 C.F.R. § 3.310(a). 2. The criteria to establish service connection for a right hip disability have been met. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 1131, 5107 (2012); 38 C.F.R. § 3.310(a). REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS The Veteran had active service from February 1977 to March 1978. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) from rating decisions by the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ). In December 2019, the Board denied service connection for left and right hip disabilities. The Veteran appealed the Board's decision to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Court). In March 2021, the Court granted the parties' Joint Motion for Remand, vacating the Board's December 2019 decision and remanding the matter for action consistent with the terms of the JMR. To establish a right to compensation for a present disability, a Veteran must show: "(1) the existence of a present disability; (2) in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury; and (3) a causal relationship between the present disability and the disease or injury incurred or aggravated during service"-the so-called "nexus" requirement. Shedden v. Principi, 381 F.3d 1163, 1167 (Fed. Cir. 2004). Service connection may also be granted for disability which is proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. 38 C.F.R. § 3.310 (a). This includes any increase in disability (aggravation) that is proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Establishing service connection on a secondary basis requires evidence sufficient to show (1) that a current disability exists and (2) that the current disability was either caused or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury. Allen v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 439 (1995) (en banc). Having reviewed the record with respect to this issue, the Board concludes that service connection for the Veteran's left and right hip disabilities is warranted. In this regard, the record contains a November 2019 report from V.F., M.D., an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. F. indicated that he had reviewed the claims file in its entirety and interviewed the Veteran. Following a detailed recitation of the evidence, Dr. F. concluded that it was at least as likely as not that the Veteran's bilateral hip degenerative joint disease that led to hip replacement developed secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. This opinion was provided by a medical professional who reviewed the history, interviewed the Veteran, and provided an opinion supported by an adequate rationale. As there is an informed medical opinion indicating that the Veteran's claimed hip disabilities are related to his service-connected bilateral knee disability, the Board concludes that service connection for a bilateral hip disability is in order. DONNIE R. HACHEY Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board J. Barone, Counsel The Board's decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.