The Board granted service connection for malignant melanoma, finding that the Veteran's role as a firefighter increased his risk and played a causative role in his diagnosis. The percentage of inservice contribution versus post-service contribution to the diagnosis cannot be determined.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner indicated that the Veteran’s role as a firefighter increased his risk and played a causative role in his malignant melanoma diagnosis, despite being unable to state what percentage of the etiology was attributable to service.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20067326
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for malignant melanoma to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically to obtain a medical opinion that considers all in-service toxic exposures.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for malignant melanoma, finding it to be at least as likely as not due to in-service exposure to herbicides.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected asbestos exposure causing pleural calcifications contributed to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant melanoma to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 20.802.
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