The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to incomplete records, particularly regarding TMJ and CAD treatment from January 2010 to August 2017. The VA must obtain these records and provide an addendum medical opinion on the severity of TMJ flare-ups. Additionally, a new VA examination is needed to assess the impact of all service-connected disabilities on employment.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's claims are incomplete due to missing treatment records from January 2010 to August 2017 and requires an addendum medical opinion addressing TMJ flare-ups. The VA must also provide a new examination to assess the impact of all service-connected disabilities on employment.
- Claimed conditions
- temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), coronary artery disease (CAD) associated with hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20068350
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,104 · Granted: 28% (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 20068350.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for gynecological disorders, residuals of skin infection, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. The claims for breast augmentation surgery and cervical rib were withdrawn from appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gonococcal urethritis and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) as these conditions are found to have been incurred during active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for broken jaw/TMJ, motion sickness, right knee pain, right shin pain, left ankle pain, bilateral pes planus, and left buttock pain as there is no evidence of current disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his attorney, and the Board is dismissing the case.
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