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The VA orders this exam to verify your diagnosis and measure how severe it is right now. It can shape your rating and your monthly compensation — but it does not decide your claim. A rating specialist weighs it against your full record, and if the exam does not reflect your condition, you can say so and ask the VA to correct it.
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Sudden weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face, caused by damage to the seventh cranial (facial) nerve. The VA rates this based on the severity of nerve involvement, from moderate incomplete paralysis to complete paralysis.
The percentages this diagnostic code can be rated at. Which one applies depends on the findings — no tool here can tell you in advance.
Rated under 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8207 — Facial (Seventh Cranial) Nerve Paralysis. The examiner records findings on the DBQ; a rating specialist makes the decision.
| Rating | Rating criteria | What that means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | In every instance where the schedule does not provide a zero percent evaluation for a diagnostic code, a zero percent evaluation shall be assigned when the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met. | Your Bell's palsy is service connected, but examination finds no loss of innervation of the facial muscles — the face is symmetric at rest and with movement, the eye closes fully, and there is no drooling — so the "incomplete, moderate" degree this code starts at is not met. This code prints no 0% rung of its own; § 4.31 supplies it: no monthly payment, but the condition is on record and a later increase runs from it. The lowest compensable level under this code is 10 percent. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 10% | Moderate incomplete paralysis of the seventh (facial) cranial nerve. | You have moderate incomplete paralysis of the facial nerve. You may have slight facial drooping, mild difficulty closing one eye, or mild drooling on the affected side. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 20% | Severe incomplete paralysis of the seventh (facial) cranial nerve. | You have severe incomplete paralysis of the facial nerve. You have noticeable facial drooping, significant difficulty closing one eye, and problems with eating and drinking. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 30% | Complete paralysis of the seventh (facial) cranial nerve. | You have complete paralysis of the facial nerve on one side. You cannot move the muscles on the affected side of your face at all. This is the maximum rating. |
What supports this level
| ||
The middle column is our transcription of the criteria at 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8207 — Facial (Seventh Cranial) Nerve Paralysis, condensed for reading. Read the section itself on eCFR before relying on the exact wording. The items under each level are the kinds of evidence that document it — not a VA checklist, and not a prediction of which level applies to you.
Not documenting the full extent of facial paralysis — photographs and video showing facial asymmetry at rest and with expression are powerful evidence for your claim.
Not reporting secondary eye problems — inability to close the eye leads to dry eye, corneal damage, and infections that may warrant a separate rating.
Not connecting the onset to a service-connected event — cold exposure, infections, ear surgery, dental procedures, and TBI during service can all trigger Bell's palsy.
Not documenting the psychological impact — visible facial paralysis commonly causes depression and social anxiety that may warrant a separate mental health rating.
Not requesting evaluation for synkinesis — after partial recovery, abnormal nerve regrowth can cause involuntary facial movements (like eye twitching when smiling) that support a higher rating.
These apply to every C&P exam, whatever the condition.