The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § § 1151 for Staph due to VA treatment is denied.,Service connection for a bilateral hip disability, left ankle disability, right eye cataracts, and OSA are all denied.,A rating higher than 10 percent for PB is denied, as the Veteran's condition does not meet the criteria for such a rating under the current regulations.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish that Staph was caused by VA treatment. The preponderance of the evidence shows no additional disability resulting from VA care.,There is insufficient evidence to support service connection for any of the disabilities listed, as there are no records indicating they began during or were related to service.,The Veteran's PB does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under current regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection (Staph), bilateral hip disability, left ankle disability, right eye cataracts, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), pseudofolliculitis barbae (PB)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19167054
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 19167054.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on the Veteran's exposure to in-service chemical agents.
- 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).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
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