The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for additional evidence. The Veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a residual disability of MRSA infection claimed to have resulted from VA medical treatment.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded because the previous medical opinions were not adequate, and further examination and opinion are needed to determine if the Veteran's MRSA is related to VA care or treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19177446
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19177446.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, but has remanded it due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the role of MRSA in the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by a TKA infection, which occurred due to VA treatment. The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to determine if the cause of death is compensable under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for MRSA is denied, and his TDIU claim on an extraschedular basis is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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