The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 were denied because the Board found that the additional disabilities, including MRSA infection and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), were not caused by VA's carelessness, negligence, or similar fault.,Both issues involve surgeries performed in October 2010 at a VA facility where informed consent was obtained for potential complications such as infections and nerve injuries.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the additional disabilities experienced by the Veteran were not caused by any carelessness, negligence, or similar fault on the part of VA.
- Claimed conditions
- MRSA infection, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20074284
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,071 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20074284.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is denied because the VA did not cause any additional disability, and there was no fault on their part in providing care.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for six surgical scars and insomnia, as secondary to the service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral strain status post laminectomy. It also granted a 50% disability rating for the intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral strain status post laminectomy, effective July 31, 2017, and a TDIU due solely to this condition.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
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