The Veteran's initial rating for TMJ prior to October 15, 2019 was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. From October 15, 2019, her rating of 40 percent is also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's inter-incisal range of motion from October 15, 2019 was at most 29 millimeters, which does not warrant a higher than 40 percent rating under the applicable diagnostic code.
- Claimed conditions
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20006837
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,820 · Granted: 26% (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 20006837.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The reduction in the rating for service-connected TMJ from 30 percent to 10 percent was improper, and the 30 percent rating is restored.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her claim for an earlier effective date for the assigned 10 percent rating for service-connected TMJ, and this appeal is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's TMJ may be related to his in-service bicycle accident, but a VA examination is needed to determine if this is the case.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for TMJ as the current disorder was not shown to be causally related to in-service injuries.
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