The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical examination, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if TMJ dysfunction is related to service.
The deciding factor: The April 2018 VA examiner's opinion was not sufficient as it did not account for the January 2017 diagnosis of TMJ dysfunction or provide an opinion on its relation to service.
- Claimed conditions
- TMJ dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20003931
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date earlier than August 29, 2022, for the award of service connection for TMJ dysfunction.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The appeal was granted for a timely notice of disagreement with the effective date of service connection for PTSD, and new and material evidence was found to reopen claims for left ear hearing loss and asthma. However, other claims were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and obtaining an opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's TMJ dysfunction.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.