The Veteran's skin cancer scarring has been characterized by one depressed nasal scar, but does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating. The Board finds that the current 10 percent initial disability rating is appropriate.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's skin cancer scars do not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating as they do not present with visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of one feature or paired set of features, or two to three of the characteristics of disfigurement.
- Claimed conditions
- Actinic Keratosis, Basal Cell Carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- May 24, 2017
- Citation
- 1718079
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 1718079.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has restored service connection for actinic keratosis and related scars, finding that the procedural requirements were not met in severing these conditions. The Board also found that the original grant of service connection was proper based on exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to perform daily activities of living without the assistance of another, and he is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased initial rating of 100 percent for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and remanded the claim for service connection for basal cell carcinoma.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for multiple skin conditions and bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the four extremities, both claimed as due to herbicide exposure (Agent Orange), based on a lack of evidence establishing a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's presumed in-service exposure.
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