The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for TMJ due to insufficient medical opinion regarding a nexus between current TMJ and in-service injury, event, or disease.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it relied solely on lack of documented treatment without considering the Veteran's lay statements about his jaw condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2024
- Citation
- A24044027
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 A24044027.
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 Board has granted service connection for TMJ and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted the appellant's eligibility for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a May 2024 rating decision, as the October 2018 initial denial of service connection for TMJ is considered the first decision with respect to this case. The effective date for the award of service connection and the associated rating remains pending.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for TMJ, tinnitus, sleep apnea, lumbar spine disability, increased rating for right hip limitation of flexion, compensable rating for right hip impairment of the thigh, and compensable rating for right hip limitation of extension.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any claimed conditions and therefore service connection cannot be granted for gastrointestinal, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, or TMJ.
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