The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher initial rating for TMJ, and the Board dismissed the case as a result.
The deciding factor: The Veteran called VA to withdraw his appeal prior to the promulgation of a decision.
- Claimed conditions
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20064286
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), but denied earlier effective dates and a higher rating.
- Denied
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.
- Denied
The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no competent medical evidence of a current disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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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.