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.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the appellant was eligible for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in the May 2024 rating decision, as the October 2018 initial denial is considered the first decision with respect to the case of service connection for TMJ.
- Claimed conditions
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 29, 2026
- Citation
- A26008546
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 A26008546.
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 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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
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.
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.