The Veteran's service-connected muscle strain of upper, left trapezius is granted with a 10 percent evaluation effective September 13, 1999. The Veteran's MDD and TMJ dysfunction are also granted with respective evaluations.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran's muscle strain of upper, left trapezius manifested in pain sufficient to warrant at least a minimum compensable evaluation of 10 percent under DC 5301. The ratings for MDD and TMJ were based on their respective diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Muscle strain of upper, left trapezius, Major depressive disorder (MDD), Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 16, 2024
- Citation
- A24018885
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 A24018885.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected Major Depressive Disorder contributed to his death from a Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA). The claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is therefore granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders and their relationship to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in verifying the Veteran's claimed stressors and developing his claim for a psychiatric disability other than PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide more details about the events he witnessed during service, and a VA examination will be scheduled to determine if any diagnosed conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current mental health conditions to his military service.
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