The Board has determined that the VA examination provided by the May 2021 examiner is inadequate for the purpose of readjudicating the Veteran's appeal. The case is therefore being remanded to obtain a new opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disability, specifically his malignant melanoma.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a rationale for the unfavorable opinion regarding causation via the Veteran's conceded in-service exposure to contaminated water while stationed at Camp Lejejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant melanoma, residuals of surgical removal
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 14, 2022
- Citation
- 22034635
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 22034635.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant melanoma, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his active duty service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for her scars has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of this claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA did not obtain all necessary service treatment records and failed to provide a VA medical opinion addressing the cause of death. The claim is being remanded for these actions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for malignant melanoma and lung cancer due to a failure to fully develop the record regarding toxic risk exposure activities. The Veteran's service records indicate he was exposed to herbicides during his military service, but further development is needed to include non-herbicide exposures.
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