The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any jaw disorder that may be present. The Veteran is presumed to have been in sound condition with respect to his jaw when he entered service.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded because there was no medical opinion addressing the etiology of the current jaw disorder, which could not be determined without a VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- jaw disorder, TMJ
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2020
- Citation
- A20016456
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 A20016456.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability evaluation for his jaw disorder is being remanded due to the need for a new examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for TMJ (also claimed as bruxism) has been dismissed because she withdrew her request to continue the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for vertigo as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected TMJ. The effective date will be determined by the AOJ.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for TMJ, thoracolumbar spine disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder were dismissed due to untimeliness of the Notice of Disagreement.
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