The appeal for entitlement to service connection for malignant melanoma was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement.
The deciding factor: The appeal was dismissed based on procedural defects, specifically the untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement beyond one year from the August 2021 rating decision without a valid extension or good cause shown.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25028155
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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 claim for service connection for malignant melanoma to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically to obtain a medical opinion that considers all in-service toxic exposures.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for malignant melanoma, finding it to be at least as likely as not due to in-service exposure to herbicides.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected asbestos exposure causing pleural calcifications contributed to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for malignant melanoma to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 20.802.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.