Veterans Law Judge
Judge Deborah W. Singleton: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2021, Veterans Law Judge Deborah W. Singleton signed 3,518 Board decisions covering 7,124 condition issues. The judge granted 19.7% of those issues, denied 35.7% and remanded 40.9%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 19.6% and remanded 47.2%, so this judge's grant rate is close to the Board's and the remand rate is below it.
Decisions
3,518
2017–2021
Issues decided
7,124
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
19.7%
Board, same conditions: 19.6%
Issues remanded
40.9%
Board, same conditions: 47.2%
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 | 648 | 22.5% | 17.2% | 40.6% | 51.2% |
| Hearing loss | 461 | 22.3% | 19.5% | 25.2% | 34.6% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 353 | 34.6% | 28.9% | 27.2% | 38.2% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 314 | 23.2% | 20.6% | 32.5% | 46.1% |
| Tinnitus | 278 | 34.2% | 39.6% | 23.0% | 22.7% |
| Hypertension | 228 | 12.7% | 17.2% | 40.4% | 48.8% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 208 | 26.0% | 26.2% | 38.9% | 50.4% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 176 | 21.0% | 18.6% | 39.2% | 48.1% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 174 | 17.8% | 20.6% | 52.9% | 51.7% |
| Shoulder impairment | 164 | 14.0% | 14.3% | 52.4% | 53.0% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 146 | 18.5% | 20.0% | 28.8% | 40.1% |
| Migraine | 137 | 29.2% | 30.2% | 35.0% | 42.2% |
| Hip impairment | 134 | 17.9% | 14.3% | 39.6% | 53.9% |
| Major depressive disorder | 114 | 31.6% | 34.6% | 30.7% | 34.2% |
| Ankle impairment | 98 | 17.3% | 16.9% | 48.0% | 50.4% |
Judge Deborah W. Singleton's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 664 | 22.1% | 50.0% | 50.8% |
| 2018 | 1,043 | 31.0% | 46.4% | 47.1% |
| 2019 | 871 | 37.9% | 41.6% | 51.1% |
| 2020 | 939 | 40.0% | 42.6% | 44.7% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Deborah W. Singleton's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established127
- Continuity of symptomatology since service29
- In-service noise exposure conceded27
- Service connection established21
- Criteria for service connection met10
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim8
- New and material evidence received to reopen claim7
- Caused by the service-connected disability7
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim206
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service144
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis121
- No current diagnosis77
- Service records negative or silent61
- Current diagnosis established40
- Already at the maximum schedular rating25
- No continuity of symptomatology23
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 Deborah W. Singleton decisions
Granted
Evidence supports one painful and unstable scar; Warrants 20 percent rating under DC 7804
Combined rating of 70% met schedular requirements for TDIU consideration.; Veteran's PTSD, tinnitus, and hearing loss precluded substantially gainful employment.; Vocational assessment report opined unemployability since July 2010.
Symptoms approximated moderate stricture of esophagus; Rated under DC 7203 by analogy; Symptoms waxed and waned but persisted
Denied
Pre-existing congenital defect of left testicle; Surgery had ameliorating effect, not aggravation; No nexus between surgery and erectile dysfunction; Erectile dysfunction first diagnosed years after service
No evidence of hyperpigmentation exceeding six square inches; Hypersensitivity to touch noted but not to compensable degree; Preponderance of evidence weighs against higher rating
Symptoms consistent with existing 40% rating; Did not meet criteria for severe incomplete paralysis; No muscle atrophy found
Research your Judge Deborah W. Singleton 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 (2017–2021) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.