The veteran's service-connected residuals of a left mandible fracture are currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has determined that this rating is appropriate based on his current symptoms.
The deciding factor: The veteran's interincisal range of motion is limited to 40 millimeters with bilateral TMJ pain, significant loss of mass in the left mandibular condyle, but without complete loss of the mandible. The current disability manifests as a moderate impairment that warrants a 50 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Healed fracture, subcondylar region of left mandible, TMJ dysfunction, Deterioration of left mandibular condyle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 13, 2005
- Citation
- 0501179
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,555 · Granted: 19% (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 0501179.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus is denied as his disability has already been rated at the maximum allowable level.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because there is no evidence of a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes during the pendency of this appeal.,Service connection for a right shoulder disorder, headaches, TMJ dysfunction, hypertension, vertigo, and respiratory condition are all denied as there is no persuasive evidence that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date earlier than August 29, 2022, for the award of service connection for TMJ dysfunction.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for TMJ dysfunction and an initial 20 percent rating for right ankle strain, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to a finding of a duty to assist error related to the claim for service connection for depression, and the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.
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