The Veteran's claim for service connection for basal and squamous cell carcinoma has been granted. The Board found that the evidence established a direct link between his sun exposure during military service and his current condition, granting service connection. Service connection was also granted for bilateral hearing loss disability, but the Board noted there was no competent negative evidence regarding its etiology.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's treating dermatologist provided medical opinions linking his basal and squamous cell carcinoma to his sun exposure during military service, meeting the threshold of establishing a direct relationship between the condition and service. For bilateral hearing loss, while the Veteran claimed service connection, there was no competent negative evidence regarding its etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- basal and squamous cell carcinoma, bilateral hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19100554
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied, except for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability which were granted. The veteran was also granted service connection for hypertension.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including tension headaches, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and a bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for the Veteran's headache disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, left shoulder bicipital tendon tear, hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, and left carpal tunnel syndrome. The claims for increased ratings for lumbar spondylosis with facet arthropathy and lumbosacral strain, right hip strain with osteoarthritis, other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, left and right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome (to include iliotibial band syndrome), and chronic right wrist sprain were denied. The Board also granted an effective date of July 7, 2023 for the award of increased ratings.
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