The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for skin cancer (malignant melanoma), status post skin graft with scar was denied as there is no indication that he filed a claim to reopen prior to May 8, 2003.
The deciding factor: There is no indication that the Veteran filed a claim to reopen prior to May 8, 2003, which is when the effective date of the grant was assigned based on a review directed by the Chief Public Health and Environmental Hazards Officer in December 21, 2006.
- Claimed conditions
- skin cancer (malignant melanoma), status-post skin graft with scar
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2009
- Citation
- 0941400
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0941400.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and potential errors in the decision-making process. The Veteran is requested to provide all relevant service documentation related to his Naval Air Force Reserve duty.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's skin cancer and his service, including exposure to herbicides. The Veteran is requested to provide medical evidence or participate in a VA examination.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
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