The Veteran's postoperative Staphylococcus infection following coronary artery bypass grafting was not caused by VA care, but rather the result of his own negligence in failing to follow medical instructions. The Board found that there was no evidence of fault on VA's part and concluded that the additional disability did not meet the criteria for 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.
The deciding factor: The Veteran developed a postoperative Staphylococcus infection due to his own negligence in failing to follow medical instructions, specifically regarding glucose management during the perioperative period.
- Claimed conditions
- Staphylococcus infection, residuals of Staphylococcus infection following CABG
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2016
- Citation
- 1602483
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 1602483.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran died from a combination of underlying conditions, none of which were service-connected. The Board found that the cause of death was not caused by any service-connected disability and denied DIC benefits for cause of death as well as survivor's pension due to income exceeding maximum rates.
- Denied
The Board found no evidence of carelessness, negligence, or error in judgment by VA that caused additional disability. The leg length discrepancy and staphylococcus infection were considered reasonably foreseeable events.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is being remanded due to the need for a new medical opinion regarding whether his postoperative sternal wound infection was classified as 'deep' and if it was reasonably foreseeable.
- Denied
The veteran's claims for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 were denied as there was no competent medical evidence showing current disabilities resulting from the surgeries and catheterizations.
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