BVA decisions by condition
Chronic fatigue syndrome: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a chronic fatigue syndrome issue in 4,709 decisions. It granted the chronic fatigue syndrome issue in 9.3% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 40.5%, and remanded it in 48.7%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 18.7% were granted.
Decisions
4,709
2017–2026
Granted
9.3%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
18.7%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
48.7%
Denied: 40.5%
Chronic fatigue syndrome outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 218 | 6.0% | 43.6% | 45.0% | 5.5% |
| 2018 | 449 | 10.0% | 34.3% | 51.7% | 4.0% |
| 2019 | 491 | 6.3% | 45.6% | 46.4% | 1.6% |
| 2020 | 455 | 5.5% | 44.2% | 48.6% | 1.8% |
| 2021 | 432 | 10.6% | 39.1% | 49.5% | 0.7% |
| 2022 | 413 | 9.2% | 34.1% | 54.5% | 2.2% |
| 2023 | 505 | 10.3% | 32.3% | 55.4% | 2.0% |
| 2024 | 584 | 11.5% | 36.3% | 51.0% | 1.2% |
| 2025 | 876 | 10.6% | 45.3% | 43.5% | 0.6% |
| 2026 | 316 | 10.1% | 50.6% | 38.9% | 0.3% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied chronic fatigue syndrome decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the chronic fatigue syndrome issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 807 | 37.4% | 14.0% | +23.4 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 760 | 37.4% | 16.3% | +21.1 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 643 | 34.6% | 15.1% | +19.4 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 252 | 36.4% | 17.6% | +18.9 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,489 | 27.1% | 14.5% | +12.6 pts |
| Buddy statement | 147 | 14.9% | 18.8% | −3.9 pts |
| Combat service | 407 | 13.9% | 19.1% | −5.2 pts |
| Lay statement | 3,777 | 17.1% | 27.3% | −10.2 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 69.2% of the decisions that granted chronic fatigue syndrome.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 30.1% of grants and 13.6% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often chronic fatigue syndrome was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable VA exam | 3,600 | 17.2% | 26.1% | −8.9 pts |
| Negative nexus opinion | 2,551 | 14.8% | 24.6% | −9.7 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied chronic fatigue syndrome
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established40
- Caused by the service-connected disability22
- Veteran is a persian gulf veteran9
- Service connection established9
- Presumptive service connection under 38 c.f.r. § 3.3179
- Criteria for service connection met8
- Diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome7
- Veteran served in southwest asia during persian gulf war6
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis553
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim154
- Current diagnosis established131
- Criteria for service connection not met90
- Service records negative or silent80
- No diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome60
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service53
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis39
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent chronic fatigue syndrome decisions
Granted
Secondary to service-connected morbid obesity; 38 C.F.R. § 3.102 criteria met
Qualifying Persian Gulf service; Diagnosis of CFS; CFS is a qualifying chronic disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317
Veteran served in Southwest Asia during Persian Gulf War; Credible private medical opinion established CFS diagnosis; VA examinations had factual defects and low probative value
Denied
No current diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome; Private DBQ relied on lay reports; VA examiner found no workup meeting VA criteria
Veteran did not meet diagnostic criteria for CFS.; No functional impairment documented for reported fatigue.; Reported fatigue considered within service-connected psychiatric disorder.
STRs negative for fatigue; Post-service records did not document chronic fatigue; Lay testimony not sufficient for nexus
Rules that apply to chronic fatigue syndrome claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your chronic fatigue syndrome case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a chronic fatigue syndrome issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.