How the Board ruled on skin condition claims, 2021–2025

Skin condition (direct service connection)

Direct (began in or was caused by service), or theory not stated in the Board order

38.3% granted of 1,552 decided cases (margin of error 35.9–40.7%). 594 granted, 958 denied, 2,678 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 317 dismissed.

What convinced the Board in granted cases

• The Board gave little weight to VA examiner opinions that relied on silent service records or no ongoing treatment, ignored the veteran's account of recurring rashes, skipped herbicide exposure, or gave a thin rationale. (6 of 11 decisions read; e.g. A23026374, A25014126, 22052524)
• The Board credited favorable opinions, private or VA, that reviewed the veteran's history from the injury or exposure onward and explained a clear conclusion. (4 of 11 decisions read; e.g. A23026374, A25014126, 21060228)
• The Board accepted credible lay accounts of a rash starting in service and recurring since, sometimes backed by photos or buddy statements. (6 of 11 decisions read; e.g. A24060784, 23048156, 23000748)

Common reasons in denied cases

• The most common reason for denial was no current diagnosis of the claimed skin condition, or symptoms that were part of a skin condition already rated. (7 of 14 decisions read; e.g. A23001316, 21017317, 22049717)
• No medical opinion linked the skin condition to service, and the veteran's own belief about cause or diagnosis was not competent medical evidence. (6 of 14 decisions read; e.g. 23051825, A21008018, 24002886)
• Thorough VA opinions went unrebutted, often finding the skin problem treated in service was a different condition from the current one. (4 of 14 decisions read; e.g. 22047607, 21055972, 24002886)

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Skin condition (exposure claims)

Exposure (e.g. Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, burn pits)

10.5% granted of 267 decided cases (margin of error 7.4–14.7%). 28 granted, 239 denied, 634 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 25 dismissed.

What convinced the Board in granted cases

• A medical opinion linking the skin condition to an in-service exposure was given high weight when it reviewed the record, explained why using the veteran's facts, and often cited literature. Most came from VA examiners. (6 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 22000588, 24000672, 24026921)
• The veteran's credible account of rashes or heavy sunburns in service, with symptoms continuing since, supported the claim alongside the conceded exposure. (6 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 21020721, 23017000, 24006654)

Common reasons in denied cases

• A thorough VA opinion, often citing medical studies, found no known link between the exposure and the skin condition, and no medical opinion rebutted it. (5 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 23005354, 24003921, 21067547)
• No competent medical opinion tied the condition to service. The veteran's belief was not enough, and one private letter blamed sun exposure without showing it happened in service. (3 of 12 decisions read; e.g. A23001224, 22043064, 21048175)
• There was no current chronic skin condition, or the condition first appeared many years after service and in-service accounts were not found credible. (6 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 21042463, 21070596, 21011507)

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Skin condition secondary to any service-connected condition

Secondary (caused or worsened by a service-connected condition)

28.7% granted of 101 decided cases (margin of error 20.8–38.2%). 29 granted, 72 denied, 263 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 7 dismissed.

What convinced the Board in granted cases

• The Board granted when a medical opinion, private or VA, linked the skin condition to the service-connected condition with clear reasoning based on an accurate history of the veteran's case. (6 of 12 decisions read; e.g. A21017339, 24026128, 23000001)
• The Board gave little weight to VA opinions that skipped whether the service-connected condition worsened the skin condition, addressed only another theory, or ignored treatment records and the veteran's account. (2 of 12 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. 23040933, 24031269)
• In some grants the Board accepted the veteran's credible reports of observable skin symptoms, such as rashes or discoloration, even when service records were silent or incomplete. (2 of 12 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. 23056771, 24009927)

Common reasons in denied cases

• The Board denied when a VA examiner gave a reasoned opinion against a link, based on the record and medical literature, and no equally reasoned opinion supported the claim. (5 of 11 decisions read; e.g. A23011793, 23018259, 22050556)
• Claims failed when the only support for a link was the veteran's or a family member's own belief, which the Board did not treat as competent medical evidence. (4 of 11 decisions read; e.g. 21073453, 22050556, 22040996)
• Some claims failed because the medical evidence pointed to another cause, such as allergies or environmental conditions, or because no current skin diagnosis was shown. (4 of 11 decisions read; e.g. 21045324, 22040996, 21038568)

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Skin condition secondary to diabetes

Secondary (caused or worsened by a service-connected condition)

Small sample: 12 decided cases, too few for a reliable percentage. 4 granted, 8 denied, 22 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 2 dismissed.

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