The Board has determined that the Veteran's scars of the face and neck are due to sun exposure during his active-duty service, resulting in basal cell carcinoma. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these scars were caused by service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's active-duty sun exposure was greater than other exposure, making it a stronger contributor to the cause of basal cell carcinoma and thus warranting service connection for the scars.
- Claimed conditions
- scars of the face and neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23057888
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 23057888.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's bilateral foot disability (manifested as plantar fasciitis, hammertoes, and hallux valgus) is service-connected. Bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on four issues (bilateral eye disorder, bilateral foot disorder, dental disorder, and scars of the face and neck) were dismissed as they were already pending within a supplemental claim at the time the request for an extension was submitted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, pseudofolliculitis barbae, scars of the face and neck, and TDIU prior to June 7, 2016 due to inadequate examination reports. Further evaluations are needed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and SSA records, scheduling medical examinations, and considering the intertwined issues of TDIU and increased rating for mood disorder.
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