The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for low back and neck disabilities, but denied an earlier effective date for TMJD.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service connection claim for TMJD was granted with an effective date of April 6, 2015, which is the earliest possible effective date under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- TBI due to dental injury/fractured jaw, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD), spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (low back disability), degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and intervertebral disc syndrome (neck disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2022
- Citation
- 22063873
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 22063873.
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 initial rating in excess of 10 percent for temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) as the Veteran's interincisal range was between 30-34 mm, and he did not require dietary restrictions to soft and semi-solid foods.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for residuals of excision of a right mandible cyst and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD). The Veteran did not have any currently diagnosed disabilities related to his in-service conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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