BVA decisions by condition
Others: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a others issue in 3,964 decisions. It granted the others issue in 38.9% of them, above the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 23.9%, and remanded it in 37.3%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 61.9% were granted.
Decisions
3,964
2017–2026
Granted
38.9%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
61.9%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
37.3%
Denied: 23.9%
Others outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 182 | 42.3% | 30.8% | 23.6% | 3.3% |
| 2018 | 287 | 43.9% | 28.6% | 24.0% | 3.5% |
| 2019 | 510 | 30.2% | 27.8% | 39.4% | 2.5% |
| 2020 | 614 | 28.8% | 22.8% | 44.6% | 3.7% |
| 2021 | 528 | 30.9% | 24.2% | 39.2% | 5.7% |
| 2022 | 565 | 31.9% | 19.6% | 45.8% | 2.7% |
| 2023 | 510 | 33.5% | 20.6% | 42.5% | 3.3% |
| 2024 | 498 | 39.2% | 21.1% | 35.3% | 4.4% |
| 2025 | 484 | 47.5% | 23.6% | 24.8% | 4.1% |
| 2026 | 198 | 54.0% | 23.7% | 18.2% | 4.0% |
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 Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome.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 others decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the others 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 | 624 | 85.5% | 55.9% | +29.6 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 238 | 83.2% | 60.9% | +22.3 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 355 | 80.9% | 59.6% | +21.3 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 354 | 76.8% | 60.0% | +16.8 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,285 | 70.2% | 57.1% | +13.1 pts |
| Combat service | 280 | 69.1% | 61.3% | +7.8 pts |
| Lay statement | 2,693 | 58.6% | 69.6% | −11.0 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 63.5% of the decisions that granted others.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 22.6% of grants and 8.4% 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 others 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 | 1,142 | 51.7% | 66.0% | −14.4 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 1,865 | 52.1% | 70.7% | −18.5 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied others
Most common reasons in grants
- Service connection established165
- Caused by the service-connected disability36
- Service connection for cause of death granted19
- Criteria for service connection for cause of death met7
- Presumption of competency applied6
- Service connection for cause of death is warranted6
- Evidence evenly balanced5
- Service connection for cause of death warranted5
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim61
- Service connection established39
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service20
- Veteran not rated totally disabled for 10 years prior to death17
- Claim denied as a matter of law14
- Caused by the service-connected disability11
- Veteran not continuously rated totally disabled for 10 years prior to death10
- Service records negative or silent10
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 others decisions
Granted
Veteran submitted birth certificates confirming biological fatherhood; Children C. and H. are under the age of 18; Criteria for dependent children recognition met
Marriage certificate submitted; Sufficient documentation provided
Veteran has total rating for psychiatric disorder; Veteran has additional service-connected disabilities rated at 60% or more; Evidence establishes Veteran is permanently housebound due to psychiatric symptoms and limited mobility
Denied
Veteran's disabilities did not meet criteria for SHA; No service connection for ALS, burn injury, or vision impairment; Evidence weighed against the claim
No evidence established severity prior to Feb 5, 2024.; January 2024 VA exam showed no significant obstruction or polyps.; July 2024 VA exam showed obstruction but no polyps.
Law mandates reduction to correct rate upon discovery of administrative error.; No equitable waiver authority for tuition payment errors.; Veteran's request for 100% payment denied as per 38 U.S.C. § 5112(b)(10) and 38 C.F.R. § 21.9636(r).
Rules that apply to others 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 others 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 others 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.