The Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, which was previously denied due to lack of new and material evidence, has been reopened. The case is now remanded for further evaluation regarding whether his cancer is related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim has been reopened because new evidence has been submitted that relates to unestablished facts and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194635
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 19194635.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted a 50 percent rating for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, effective April 9, 2021.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil, as there was no evidence to support a direct link between the condition and the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil is remanded. The Board needs more medical evidence to determine if the condition is related to in-service herbicide exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found errors in obtaining the Veteran's private medical records and VA Forms 21-4142, and thus remanded the case for further development.
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