The Veteran's left and right ankle disabilities are rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations, with no evidence of ankylosis or other conditions that would warrant a higher rating.,The Veteran's TMJ disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling based on interincisal range greater than 34 millimeters without dietary restrictions to mechanically altered foods.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support the assignment of any higher ratings for the left ankle strain, right ankle injury with residual calcification, or TMJ as the Veteran's disabilities are already rated at their maximum allowable under VA regulations.,The interincisal range of the Veteran's TMJ is greater than 34 millimeters without dietary restrictions to mechanically altered foods, which corresponds to a 10 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Bruxism Induced Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ), Left Ankle Strain, Status Post Right Ankle Injury with Residual Calcification of the Interosseous Membrane
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2024
- Citation
- A24069913
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (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 A24069913.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU from October 12, 2016 to November 12, 2018 and from January 1, 2019 to July 22, 2019 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left ankle disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or chronic condition and noting the lack of credible lay statements regarding continuous symptoms since service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Persistent Depressive Disorder with Mild Alcohol Use Disorder and his service-connected Right Knee Strain, Left Ankle Strain, and Right Ankle Strain.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities cause incapacity requiring regular aid and attendance, and the Board has granted SMC effective March 17, 2023.
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