Veterans Law Judge
Judge April Maddox: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2025, Veterans Law Judge April Maddox signed 290 Board decisions covering 665 condition issues. The judge granted 17.0% of those issues, denied 35.8% and remanded 43.5%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 19.8% and remanded 46.6%, so this judge's grant rate is below the Board's and the remand rate is below it.
Decisions
290
2017–2025
Issues decided
665
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
17.0%
Board, same conditions: 19.8%
Issues remanded
43.5%
Board, same conditions: 46.6%
Judges do not choose their cases, and grant rates differ a lot by condition. “Board, same conditions” is what the rest of the Board decided for the same mix of conditions, so the comparison is fair to the judge's docket. This is not a ranking.
Conditions this judge decided most
Each row compares the judge's issues on one condition with the rest of the Board's issues on the same condition. Conditions with fewer than 20 of this judge's issues are left out, because a few decisions can swing the rate.
| Condition | Issues | Granted | Board granted | Remanded | Board remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee impairment | 62 | 6.5% | 17.3% | 43.5% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 40 | 20.0% | 19.5% | 32.5% | 34.6% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 37 | 21.6% | 28.9% | 35.1% | 38.1% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 24 | 25.0% | 26.2% | 58.3% | 50.3% |
| Ankle impairment | 22 | 13.6% | 16.9% | 31.8% | 50.4% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 21 | 9.5% | 18.7% | 47.6% | 48.0% |
| Tinnitus | 21 | 47.6% | 39.6% | 23.8% | 22.7% |
Judge April Maddox's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 58 | 39.7% | 53.4% | 51.7% |
| 2019 | 85 | 36.5% | 57.6% | 50.6% |
| 2020 | 21 | 42.9% | 33.3% | 52.4% |
| 2021 | 77 | 29.9% | 44.2% | 54.5% |
| 2022 | 29 | 17.2% | 48.3% | 55.2% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge April Maddox's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established10
- Continuity of symptomatology since service6
- Caused by the service-connected disability2
- Resolution of doubt in veteran's favor2
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability2
- In-service noise exposure conceded2
- Service connection established2
- Already at the maximum schedular rating2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim18
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service12
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis7
- No current diagnosis7
- Service records negative or silent4
- Already at the maximum schedular rating3
- No continuity of symptomatology3
- Current diagnosis established2
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 Judge April Maddox decisions
Granted
Diagnosis of COPD and emphysema met.; In-service exposure to asbestos and herbicides established.; Private provider opinions provided probative nexus linking conditions to exposures.
Current disability established; In-service surgery in April 1979 noted; Persuasive private medical opinion found nexus to service
Evidence supports 70 percent rating criteria; VA examiner opinion highly probative; Symptoms cause deficiencies, not total impairment
Denied
Weight of probative evidence against total impairment; VA examiners' opinions found more probative; Limited social interactions and household management weigh against total impairment
Lumbar flexion measurements did not meet criteria for higher rating.; Pain did not result in additional functional loss or limitation of motion.; No incapacitating episodes requiring bed rest were documented.
Symptoms during Oct 2018 - Dec 2019 period (daytime voiding 2-3 hours) aligned with 10% rating criteria.; Symptoms during Dec 2019 - Jan 2022 period (nighttime voiding 3 times, daytime voiding 3-4 times/hour after fluids) warranted 20% rating.; Symptoms during Jan 2022 - May 2013 period (daytime voiding <1 hour) warranted 40% rating.; Higher ratings denied due to lack of evidence for more severe symptoms (e.g., appliance use >4 times/day, retention requiring catheterization).
Research your Judge April Maddox case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Issue rates count each condition the Board decided in a decision once, by the outcome of that issue. A decision can grant one issue and deny another.
- The yearly table counts decisions: a decision with a granted issue and a denied issue appears in both columns, so a row can add up to more than 100%.
- "Board, same conditions" weights the rest of the Board's grant and remand rate for each condition by how many of this judge's issues were on that condition. It does not adjust for evidence, hearing type or representation.
- Judges are identified from the signature on each decision. This page is a statistical summary, not an evaluation of any judge.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2025) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.