The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a TMJ disability was denied, and her claims for increased ratings for left wrist de Quervain's tendinitis and femoral radiculopathy were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to lack of causation or fault on VA's part, as the Veteran's condition was attributed to a dental procedure rather than carelessness, negligence, or other fault from VA.
- Claimed conditions
- TMJ disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2026
- Citation
- A26040525
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 A26040525.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for TMJ, low back disability, and right knee disability due to duty-to-assist errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions and verifying periods of active duty.
- Granted
The Board has granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including back, TMJ, right hip pain, left hip pain, right shoulder degenerative joint disease with rotator cuff calcific tendinitis, and left shoulder degenerative joint disease. The claims are remanded for further review.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a TMJ disability and remanded her claims for bilateral carpel tunnel syndrome, bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy due to lack of current evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of the appellant's claims for service connection for an abdominal disability, a left knee disability, a right knee disability, TMJ, and lumbosacral strain due to new evidence. The appeal for asthma was dismissed as moot, while other claims were denied.
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.