The Veteran's service-connected facial muscle damage and loss of teeth have been denied. However, the reduction from a 30 percent rating to a 10 percent rating for scars, shell fragment wound neck, chin and lip has been restored.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support maintaining the higher rating for the scars, leading to their restoration.
- Claimed conditions
- Facial Muscle Damage, Loss of Teeth
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19184460
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,726 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19184460.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy, loss of muscle in the right upper extremity, neck disability, and sinusitis are all being reviewed for possible service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and initial compensable rating for loss of teeth, also claimed as surgery and right-sided jaw injury were both denied by the Board.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The appeal of several issues has been remanded for further evaluation. The Veteran's PTSD claim is reopened and service connection is granted, but the right knee and teeth ratings are still under review.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected PTSD and additional service-connected disabilities rated at 60 percent or more. SMC at the housebound rate is also granted from January 1, 2015.
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