BVA decisions by condition
Epilepsy grand mal: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a epilepsy grand mal issue in 1,435 decisions. It granted the epilepsy grand mal issue in 12.1% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 25.0%, and remanded it in 60.8%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 32.6% were granted.
Decisions
1,435
2017–2026
Granted
12.1%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
32.6%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
60.8%
Denied: 25.0%
Epilepsy grand mal outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 105 | 10.5% | 31.4% | 49.5% | 8.6% |
| 2018 | 190 | 10.0% | 30.0% | 57.9% | 2.1% |
| 2019 | 214 | 11.2% | 24.8% | 59.8% | 4.2% |
| 2020 | 134 | 9.0% | 17.9% | 72.4% | 0.7% |
| 2021 | 173 | 12.1% | 25.4% | 60.1% | 2.3% |
| 2022 | 167 | 10.2% | 21.0% | 66.5% | 2.4% |
| 2023 | 167 | 9.6% | 29.3% | 59.3% | 1.8% |
| 2024 | 164 | 15.2% | 18.3% | 65.9% | 0.6% |
| 2025 | 108 | 19.4% | 25.0% | 52.8% | 2.8% |
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 Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome.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 epilepsy grand mal decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the epilepsy grand mal 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 | 178 | 71.2% | 22.5% | +48.7 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 153 | 64.9% | 25.7% | +39.2 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 68 | 64.7% | 30.5% | +34.2 pts |
| Combat service | 61 | 63.0% | 31.0% | +31.9 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 411 | 54.7% | 26.4% | +28.3 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 373 | 47.5% | 25.0% | +22.5 pts |
| Lay statement | 1,071 | 30.1% | 45.1% | −15.0 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 73.0% of the decisions that granted epilepsy grand mal.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 34.5% of grants and 10.3% 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 epilepsy grand mal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 642 | 30.9% | 34.7% | −3.8 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 880 | 31.4% | 36.2% | −4.8 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied epilepsy grand mal
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established20
- Caused by the service-connected disability9
- Service connection established5
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service4
- Criteria for secondary service connection met3
- Severance of service connection was improper2
- No contrary evidence2
- Presumption of soundness not rebutted2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis39
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service31
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim30
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis30
- Current diagnosis established21
- Service records negative or silent20
- No continuity of symptomatology8
- Criteria for service connection not met4
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 epilepsy grand mal decisions
Granted
VA C&P exam found seizures at least as likely as not related to service-connected scarring; Board applied "but-for" causation standard; Benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine applied due to approximately balanced evidence
Resolving doubt in Veteran's favor; At least one major seizure monthly over the last year; Met criteria for 100% rating
Service-connected anxiety disorder; Substance abuse as intermediate step; Seizures due to substance abuse
Denied
Current diagnosis conceded; Persian Gulf service satisfies second element; VA examiner opined less likely than not related to service
No history of major seizures or frequent minor seizures; Syncope did not require continuous medication; Evidence weighed against higher rating
No competent evidence of current seizure disorder; Diagnoses and seizures during service are too remote; Veteran not competent to diagnose current seizure disorder; Evidence weighs against finding a current seizure disorder
Rules that apply to epilepsy grand mal 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 epilepsy grand mal 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 epilepsy grand mal 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.