Veterans Law Judge
Judge Gayle E. Strommen: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2018, Veterans Law Judge Gayle E. Strommen signed 1,298 Board decisions covering 2,655 condition issues. The judge granted 21.0% of those issues, denied 27.6% and remanded 44.2%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 19.0% and remanded 48.6%, so this judge's grant rate is above the Board's and the remand rate is below it.
Decisions
1,298
2017–2018
Issues decided
2,655
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
21.0%
Board, same conditions: 19.0%
Issues remanded
44.2%
Board, same conditions: 48.6%
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 | 211 | 15.2% | 17.3% | 44.1% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 157 | 35.0% | 19.5% | 23.6% | 34.6% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 138 | 24.6% | 28.9% | 30.4% | 38.1% |
| Tinnitus | 108 | 62.0% | 39.6% | 12.0% | 22.8% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 101 | 21.8% | 20.7% | 32.7% | 46.1% |
| Hypertension | 101 | 12.9% | 17.2% | 42.6% | 48.8% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 78 | 15.4% | 18.7% | 41.0% | 48.0% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 66 | 15.2% | 20.6% | 65.2% | 51.7% |
| Shoulder impairment | 54 | 20.4% | 14.3% | 51.9% | 53.0% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 52 | 23.1% | 26.2% | 48.1% | 50.3% |
| Major depressive disorder | 49 | 22.4% | 34.6% | 36.7% | 34.2% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 44 | 27.3% | 19.9% | 31.8% | 40.1% |
| Ankle impairment | 39 | 20.5% | 16.9% | 38.5% | 50.4% |
| Migraine | 36 | 50.0% | 30.1% | 27.8% | 42.2% |
| Hip impairment | 36 | 16.7% | 14.3% | 63.9% | 53.8% |
Judge Gayle E. Strommen's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 694 | 34.1% | 39.9% | 48.8% |
| 2018 | 604 | 38.7% | 35.6% | 52.6% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Gayle E. Strommen's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established33
- In-service noise exposure conceded19
- Caused by the service-connected disability11
- Continuity of symptomatology since service10
- Service connection established5
- Already at the maximum schedular rating5
- Veteran's statements found credible3
- New and material evidence submitted2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim45
- No current diagnosis35
- Current diagnosis established29
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis24
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service18
- Service records negative or silent14
- Already at the maximum schedular rating7
- Criteria for higher rating not met5
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 Gayle E. Strommen decisions
Granted
Veteran reported in-service noise exposure from aircraft and gunnery.; January 2015 VA exam noted deficiency in separation exam but could not rule out in-service noise exposure.; Veteran's reports of progressively worsening hearing loss since service are credible and consistent.
Service treatment records confirm parachute jumping and subsequent knee pain.; Conflicting medical opinions were reconciled.; Evidence found evenly balanced; doubt resolved in veteran's favor.
Systemic therapy required for at least 12 months; Affected more than 40 percent of body/exposed areas; Maximum rating under DC 7822
Denied
Treatment was topical or intermittent; Did not affect more than 40 percent of body; Did not meet criteria for higher rating
Symptoms do not meet criteria for 60% rating.; No material weight loss, hematemesis/melena with anemia, or severe impairment.; Periods of no GI complaints noted in primary care visits.
Existing 30% rating appropriate; No evidence of congestive heart failure; Left ventricular ejection fraction of 55 percent
Research your Judge Gayle E. Strommen 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 (2017–2018) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.