The Veteran's metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is presumed to be caused by his in-service exposure to burn pits, granted service connection under the PACT Act.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is presumed to have been caused by his in-service exposure to burn pits as per the PACT Act.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22057053
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 22057053.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection for tonsillar cancer and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck are remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board finds that VA failed to provide a VA examination prior to the May 2020 rating decision on appeal.
- Granted
Service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death was granted due to herbicide agent exposure and service-connected PTSD contributing substantially or materially to the cause of death.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the Veteran's metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, including laryngeal cancer, and his total laryngectomy. The Board found that there was no link between these conditions and in-service asbestos exposure.
- Denied
The Board found that the cause of death, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck, was not caused by or related to service-connected conditions. The appellant's contention that SCC was due to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam was not supported by the VA opinion obtained.
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