The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for skin lesions, including melanoma, due to exposure to Agent Orange during his military service in Vietnam. The case is being sent back for a VA examination and for the Veteran to provide authorization for any private treatment records.
The deciding factor: The Veteran served in Vietnam and has been exposed to herbicide agents, which presumptively links him to potential health effects from such exposure. However, there are no current examinations or opinions linking his skin disorders to service.
- Claimed conditions
- melanoma, skin lesions
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20080486
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 the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for melanoma under the PACT Act, presumptively linking it to the Veteran's exposure to burn pits during his deployment in Saudi Arabia.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for melanoma, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran and finding that his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune caused his condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for melanoma, as the evidence did not support a compensable rating at any point during the period on appeal.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.