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.
The deciding factor: The January 2020 medical opinion was found inadequate and did not provide a sufficient analysis connecting the disability with in-service sun and/or herbicide exposure, necessitating an addendum opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- malignant melanoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25037809
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's application for Legacy Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (Legacy S-DVI) is granted, as his history of malignant melanoma no longer precludes a finding of good health.
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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.