The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for scars, right lower extremity, status post melanoma resection and increased ratings for basal cell carcinoma and residuals of basal cell carcinoma and melanoma. The issues are being referred to VA’s Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.
The deciding factor: The Board found the combined VA examinations inadequate to support decisions on the Veteran's appealed claims due to a lack of addressing whether previous skin lesion excisions left scars, created overlapping scars, or healed without any scarring. A new examination is needed to fairly resolve the appellant’s claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Melanoma, Basal cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20070208
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 service connection for residuals of a skin condition, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a skin disability, to include basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, stucco keratosis, and seborrheic keratosis, as well as a right thoracic back circular scar, to include as secondary to treatment for basal cell carcinoma.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for basal cell carcinoma, leukocytosis, and liver condition but granted reinstatement of a 40% rating for right and left knee limitations of extension effective November 1, 2024.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for basal cell carcinoma and granted a separate 10 percent rating for a painful scar.
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