BVA decisions by condition
Arm impairment: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a arm impairment issue in 718 decisions. It granted the arm impairment issue in 8.6% of them, below the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 40.9%, and remanded it in 50.4%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 17.4% were granted.
Decisions
718
2018–2026
Granted
8.6%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
17.4%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
50.4%
Denied: 40.9%
Arm impairment outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 99 | 8.1% | 37.4% | 48.5% |
| 2019 | 83 | 1.2% | 32.5% | 67.5% |
| 2020 | 113 | 7.1% | 49.6% | 41.6% |
| 2021 | 89 | 10.1% | 36.0% | 52.8% |
| 2022 | 101 | 5.0% | 40.6% | 55.4% |
| 2023 | 96 | 10.4% | 41.7% | 51.0% |
| 2024 | 59 | 16.9% | 39.0% | 47.5% |
| 2025 | 54 | 16.7% | 50.0% | 35.2% |
Evidence in granted and denied arm impairment decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the arm impairment 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private medical opinion | 186 | 24.8% | 14.3% | +10.4 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 67 | 23.4% | 16.5% | +6.9 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 158 | 21.6% | 16.7% | +4.8 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 77 | 20.9% | 16.9% | +4.0 pts |
| Lay statement | 603 | 16.5% | 25.0% | −8.5 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 66.1% of the decisions that granted arm impairment.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 27.4% of grants and 11.2% 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 arm impairment 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 | 529 | 15.3% | 28.6% | −13.2 pts |
| Negative nexus opinion | 346 | 10.7% | 24.2% | −13.5 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied arm impairment
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability6
- Current diagnosis established5
- Already at the maximum schedular rating3
- New and material evidence received to reopen claim2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis47
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim35
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis27
- Service records negative or silent19
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service19
- Current diagnosis established18
- Already at the maximum schedular rating7
- Caused by the service-connected disability5
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 arm impairment decisions
Granted
Competent and credible lay testimony; No contradictory clinical evidence; Benefit of the doubt afforded
Evidence of record supports a finding that the Veteran's right arm disability is secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine and right-sided radiculopathy disabilities.; High probative value afforded to private medical opinions linking right-sided pain to in-service injury and MRIs.; Low probative value given to VA examinations for inadequacy in addressing all evidence and providing clear nexus opinions.
Existence of present disability confirmed by VA treatment records.; Disability proximately due to service-connected PTSD.; Prior favorable finding by AOJ that injury is secondary to PTSD.
Denied
Evidence persuasively weighs against a rating in excess of 20%; Objective range of motion measurements did not support higher rating; Veteran's lay reports of symptoms and noted functional loss did not result in higher limitation
No current diagnosis of left arm disability; No functional impairment of earning capacity; VA examinations silent regarding left arm disability; Normal range of motion and strength in left upper extremity; Lay testimony regarding diagnosis not competent; Weight of evidence against claim
July 2024 VA exam showed flexion to 120 degrees, abduction to 90 degrees.; February 2025 VA exam showed flexion to 180 degrees, abduction to 180 degrees with pain.; Neither examination showed limitation midway (45 degrees) required for higher rating.; Painful motion already compensated; no ankylosis or humerus impairment.
Rules that apply to arm impairment 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 arm impairment 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 arm impairment 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 (2018–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.