The Veteran's service connection claims for basal cell carcinoma of the head and neck are granted due to presumed exposure to burn pits during his service in Saudi Arabia, as provided by the PACT Act.
The deciding factor: Service connection is established based on presumptive exposure to burn pit smoke during the Persian Gulf War era.
- Claimed conditions
- basal cell carcinoma of the head, basal cell carcinoma of the neck
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 8, 2024
- Citation
- A24036251
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 A24036251.
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 of service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, basal cell carcinoma of the neck, diplopia (hypermetropia), type II diabetes mellitus, a heart condition, and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to failure to appear at scheduled VA examinations. The effective dates for these claims cannot be determined without further examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted the claim of service connection for basal cell carcinoma of the ear, chin, and neck based on direct evidence linking it to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Partly granted
The Board has determined that the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.156 (c) apply to the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip disability and left ankle disability, as well as his prostate disability. The AOJ must readjudicate these claims with consideration of the September 2013 service treatment records that included a February 2004 Report of Medical History documenting left ankle and left hip problems.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for basal cell carcinoma of the neck, COPD and porphyria cutanea tarda on the basis that there was no evidence linking these conditions to active duty or exposure to herbicides.
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