The Board has ordered remand due to the need for additional evidentiary development regarding the Veteran's claims of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for surgeries and infections related to his right arm and hand.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for an independent medical opinion to address the Veteran's arguments about VA care, including timely diagnosis and treatment of MRSA infection and post-operative follow-up care.
- Claimed conditions
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20042771
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 20042771.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for complex regional pain syndrome, muscle pain associated with CRPS, joint pain associated with CRPS, and neurological symptoms associated with CRPS as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Crohn's disease.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) was denied in a February 2018 rating decision. The most recent petition to reopen the claim was received on February 20, 2020, and the grant of service connection for CRPS is effective as of that date.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for MRSA infection on a secondary basis as it is related to the Veteran's service-connected dermatitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the December 2021 VA examination and opinion regarding the impairment of peripheral nerves in the Veteran's right lower extremity, specifically the sciatic nerve.
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