The Veteran's appeal includes issues related to scars and basal cell carcinoma. The Board has determined that the VA examinations obtained prior to the March 2023 rating decision were inadequate for determining the appropriate ratings, particularly regarding the nature of the scarring. Therefore, these issues are being remanded to obtain further evaluations.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examinations did not adequately address all of the Veteran's scars and failed to provide a clear determination of which scars are painful or have other specific characteristics that would warrant higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- painless scars, painful scars, scar, left upper extremity (secondary to surgery for excision of skin cancer), scar, right upper extremity (secondary to surgery for excision of skin cancer), scars (lung cancer), basal cell carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2023
- Citation
- A23029727
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 A23029727.
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 has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's basal cell carcinoma. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition, which he claims was caused by exposure to water-based contaminants at Camp Lejeune during his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis as the appeal is considered duplicative of a previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.
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