The Veteran's focal dystonia resulted in left facial weakness/drooping with drooling after 45 seconds to a minute of trombone playing, and the Board found that this did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s focal dystonia only affected his ability to play the trombone, causing left facial weakness/drooping with drooling after 45 seconds to a minute of playing. The disability did not affect other cranial nerves or general neurological function.
- Claimed conditions
- focal dystonia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 5, 2013
- Citation
- 1335715
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 1335715.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial 10 percent rating for focal dystonia, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is also service connected.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the relationship between the veteran's current neurological conditions and his in-service facial injury. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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