Veterans Law Judge
Judge Emily Tamlyn: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2019 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge Emily Tamlyn signed 3,700 Board decisions covering 6,468 condition issues. The judge granted 20.3% of those issues, denied 32.9% and remanded 44.6%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 20.3% and remanded 46.5%, so this judge's grant rate is close to the Board's and the remand rate is close to it.
Decisions
3,700
2019–2026
Issues decided
6,468
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
20.3%
Board, same conditions: 20.3%
Issues remanded
44.6%
Board, same conditions: 46.5%
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 | 466 | 21.0% | 17.3% | 43.3% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 321 | 19.0% | 19.5% | 24.9% | 34.6% |
| Tinnitus | 274 | 41.6% | 39.6% | 18.6% | 22.8% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 264 | 29.5% | 28.9% | 28.8% | 38.1% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 250 | 23.6% | 26.2% | 53.2% | 50.3% |
| Hypertension | 195 | 19.5% | 17.1% | 41.0% | 48.8% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 190 | 20.5% | 20.7% | 42.6% | 46.1% |
| Migraine | 161 | 21.7% | 30.2% | 49.1% | 42.1% |
| Hip impairment | 154 | 12.3% | 14.3% | 46.8% | 53.8% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 151 | 25.8% | 18.6% | 45.0% | 48.0% |
| Shoulder impairment | 138 | 11.6% | 14.3% | 49.3% | 53.0% |
| Ankle impairment | 117 | 13.7% | 16.9% | 51.3% | 50.4% |
| Paralysis of sciatic nerve or external popliteal nerve | 113 | 21.2% | 22.0% | 34.5% | 49.6% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 112 | 15.2% | 20.6% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 92 | 16.3% | 20.0% | 43.5% | 40.0% |
Judge Emily Tamlyn's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 67 | 34.3% | 47.8% | 61.2% |
| 2020 | 85 | 37.6% | 45.9% | 49.4% |
| 2021 | 226 | 31.4% | 50.0% | 46.0% |
| 2022 | 691 | 33.1% | 39.9% | 47.6% |
| 2023 | 769 | 35.9% | 39.1% | 44.0% |
| 2024 | 730 | 31.4% | 37.8% | 39.6% |
| 2025 | 810 | 28.9% | 42.0% | 32.6% |
| 2026 | 322 | 32.0% | 37.9% | 35.1% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Emily Tamlyn's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established79
- Service connection established25
- Continuity of symptomatology since service22
- Caused by the service-connected disability21
- In-service noise exposure conceded10
- Service records negative or silent8
- Evidence evenly balanced7
- Resolution of doubt in veteran's favor7
Most common reasons in denials
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis92
- Service records negative or silent72
- No current diagnosis69
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim49
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service46
- Current diagnosis established35
- No continuity of symptomatology20
- Already at the maximum schedular rating19
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 Emily Tamlyn decisions
Granted
Current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss confirmed by VA exams.; Veteran's MOS as heavy vehicle operator consistent with noise exposure.; In-service noise exposure reported by Veteran.; Inadequate VA opinions due to reliance on IOM report and lack of meaningful reconciliation.; Evidence found to be in approximate balance.; Benefit of the doubt resolved in Veteran's favor.
March 2025 VA examination noted right knee extension limited to 10 degrees during flare-ups.; Met criteria for 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5261.; Separate 10 percent rating for limitation of extension is granted.
September 28, 2018, DBQ results showed functional equivalent of ankylosis.; Veteran's testimony and VA examination noted locking and pain during movement.; 50 percent rating granted effective September 28, 2018.
Denied
Evidence did not meet criteria for ankylosis or higher IVDS ratings.; Veteran's reported pain did not constitute functional loss beyond assigned ratings.; Board found evidence decidedly against higher ratings.
Weight of evidence persuasively against assignment of rating in excess of 10 percent.; Objective medical evidence showed normal range of motion with pain but no functional loss.; Veteran's subjective complaints outweighed by objective findings.
Prior to September 28, 2018, flexion limited to 10 degrees with consideration of repetitive use and flare-ups.; No ankylosis or functional equivalent established for the period prior to September 28, 2018.; 40 percent rating warranted for the period prior to September 28, 2018.
Research your Judge Emily Tamlyn 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 (2019–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.