The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has found that there is new and material evidence to support his claims. However, the claim for service connection for a skin disorder, including basal cell carcinoma due to exposure to herbicide agents, remains remanded as VA medical opinion is needed.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma requires clarification regarding its etiology, specifically whether it is related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.
- Claimed conditions
- upper lip scar, skin rash or disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23012330
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 23012330.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for pseudofolliculitis barbae and upper lip scar disabilities to obtain complete medical examinations and adequate opinions for rating purposes.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU from November 10, 2018, due to service-connected depressive disorder. He also qualified for special monthly compensation based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for upper lip scar, sinus disability, residuals of a head injury, and PTSD due to personal trauma as there is no persuasive evidence that these conditions are related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and entitlement to TDIU on an extraschedular basis, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU rating and were of such nature and severity as to preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
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