BVA decisions by condition
Nephrolithiasis: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a nephrolithiasis issue in 888 decisions. It granted the nephrolithiasis issue in 13.5% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 32.7%, and remanded it in 51.2%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 29.3% were granted.
Decisions
888
2017–2026
Granted
13.5%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
29.3%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
51.2%
Denied: 32.7%
Nephrolithiasis outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 82 | 12.2% | 35.4% | 43.9% | 8.5% |
| 2019 | 117 | 13.7% | 34.2% | 50.4% | 1.7% |
| 2020 | 98 | 8.2% | 48.0% | 42.9% | 1.0% |
| 2021 | 86 | 10.5% | 24.4% | 60.5% | 4.7% |
| 2022 | 96 | 12.5% | 21.9% | 64.6% | 1.0% |
| 2023 | 117 | 13.7% | 24.8% | 57.3% | 4.3% |
| 2024 | 105 | 16.2% | 32.4% | 50.5% | 1.0% |
| 2025 | 107 | 14.0% | 37.4% | 47.7% | 0.9% |
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 Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome.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 nephrolithiasis decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the nephrolithiasis 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 | 120 | 58.0% | 22.2% | +35.8 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 100 | 47.1% | 25.6% | +21.6 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 247 | 38.4% | 24.6% | +13.8 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 179 | 34.8% | 28.2% | +6.6 pts |
| Combat service | 52 | 25.9% | 29.5% | −3.6 pts |
| Lay statement | 680 | 27.5% | 36.8% | −9.3 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 64.2% of the decisions that granted nephrolithiasis.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 31.7% of grants and 15.9% 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 nephrolithiasis 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 | 448 | 26.8% | 32.3% | −5.5 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 655 | 27.2% | 37.3% | −10.1 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied nephrolithiasis
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established17
- Service connection established5
- Recurrent stone formation requiring diet and drug therapy5
- Caused by the service-connected disability5
- Continuity of symptomatology since service4
- Meets criteria for 30% rating under DC 75084
- Already at the maximum schedular rating3
- VA opinions were inadequate2
Most common reasons in denials
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis34
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim32
- Service records negative or silent27
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service27
- No current diagnosis24
- Current diagnosis established15
- Criteria for compensable rating not met5
- Evidence weighs against service connection5
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 nephrolithiasis decisions
Granted
Current diagnosis of kidney stones established; Diagnosis occurred during active duty for training (ACDUTRA); No evidence of prior complaints or treatment for kidney stones
Favorable VA examination opinion linking kidney stones to Agent Orange exposure.; Agent Orange exposure associated with metabolic and renal disturbances.; Resolving doubt in Veteran's favor.
Private nurse practitioner opinion linked condition to service; Evidence evenly balanced, doubt resolved in veteran's favor; Presumed TERA exposure due to Southwest Asia service
Denied
November 2024 VA examination found no recurrent stone formation requiring treatment or colic.; Private chiropractor's opinion lacked probative value.; Evidence persuasively against a compensable rating.
No evidence of colic; Original decision properly applied analogous DC; Arguments were disagreement with evidence weighing
Evidence persuasively weighed against meeting criteria for higher rating.; Record did not show recurrent stones requiring procedures more than twice yearly.; No attacks of colic or renal dysfunction during appeal period.
Rules that apply to nephrolithiasis 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 nephrolithiasis 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 nephrolithiasis 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.