The veteran's service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa was granted with an effective date of May 19, 2017. A 100% rating was assigned from May 19, 2017, to April 16, 2018. The veteran also received a 40% rating for residuals of a resection of the left scapula and a TDIU.
The deciding factor: The effective date for service connection was determined based on the date the claim was filed or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa, residuals of a resection of the left scapula, surgical scarring of the left shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25006682
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25006682.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus and squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa have been granted service connection, with tinnitus being linked to in-service noise exposure and squamous cell carcinoma linked to in-service herbicide agent exposure. The issue of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or housebound status is remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa is related to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder with alcohol dependence, and thus grants service connection on a secondary basis.
- Denied
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa manifested more than one year after separation from service and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to an in-service event, injury, or disease, including herbicide exposure. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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