The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically his metastatic malignant melanoma. The appellant contends that this condition was caused by Agent Orange exposure during service.
The deciding factor: The VA opinion did not consider the relevant evidence submitted by the appellant and Dr. Gainer's analysis questioning the validity of previous studies on the relationship between Agent Orange exposure and melanoma.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2023
- Citation
- A23035398
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 A23035398.
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 has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic malignant melanoma, was related to his exposure to herbicide agents in service, specifically Agent Orange. The claim is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's metastatic malignant melanoma to determine if it is related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for metastatic malignant melanoma, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his in-service exposure to herbicide agents and his current condition. The earliest diagnosis of the cancer was decades after service.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by his in-service exposure to Agent Orange, which resulted in metastatic malignant melanoma. The Board granted the claim for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC).
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