The Veteran's additional disabilities, including fatigue, mild cognitive dysfunction, right leg weakness, right arm/shoulder weakness, chronic neuropathic pain, and neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction, are considered to be the result of a spinal epidural abscess caused by VA dental treatment. The Board finds that this event was not reasonably foreseeable.
The deciding factor: The proximate cause of the Veteran's additional disabilities was an unforeseeable event (the introduction of Streptococcus viridans due to March 4, 2010 dental procedure), and thus meets the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of an extended spinal epidural abscess
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 30, 2022
- Citation
- 22037805
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 22037805.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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