The Veteran's TMJ condition is currently rated at 20% effective September 25, 2014. The Board finds the evidence sufficient to grant a higher rating for this condition. However, the Veteran's right hand disability remains rated as noncompensable and requires further examination to determine its current severity.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has reported worsening symptoms of his TMJ disorder that have led him to consume only liquids during flare-ups and restrict his diet to soft and semi-solid foods. The most recent VA examination was conducted over four years ago, which is inadequate for assessing the current severity of this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Temporomandibular Joint Condition (TMJ), Closed Fracture of 5th Metacarpal Right Hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2023
- Citation
- 23008393
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 23008393.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not make her permanently bedridden, substantially confined to her home or premises, or unable to care for her daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person. Therefore, she is denied special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance of another person or being housebound.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.