The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for MRSA is being remanded due to a lack of a medical opinion regarding the proximate cause of his MRSA.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was a pre-decisional error in not obtaining a VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's MRSA was caused by carelessness, negligence, or other fault on the part of VA.
- Claimed conditions
- methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2020
- Citation
- A20019550
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 A20019550.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and an initial compensable evaluation for acne with folliculitis and epidermal cyst.
- Denied
The Veteran's MRSA disability was not actually caused by the VA treatment in September 2017, and therefore compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 are denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current nasal vestibulitis with alar prominence, which is claimed as MRSA. The claim will be re-adjudicated after obtaining a clarifying VA medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of his exposure history. The issues include pseudofolliculitis barbae, a skin disability other than PFB, and a right eye disability.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.