Veterans Law Judge
Judge Gayle Strommen: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2018 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge Gayle Strommen signed 7,718 Board decisions covering 16,356 condition issues. The judge granted 28.1% of those issues, denied 23.8% and remanded 45.8%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 19.7% and remanded 47.3%, so this judge's grant rate is above the Board's and the remand rate is close to it.
Decisions
7,718
2018–2026
Issues decided
16,356
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
28.1%
Board, same conditions: 19.7%
Issues remanded
45.8%
Board, same conditions: 47.3%
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 | 1,315 | 29.0% | 17.2% | 44.4% | 51.2% |
| Hearing loss | 871 | 34.3% | 19.4% | 25.7% | 34.7% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 780 | 43.8% | 28.7% | 30.6% | 38.2% |
| Tinnitus | 634 | 58.4% | 39.4% | 13.9% | 22.8% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 551 | 37.7% | 26.1% | 44.6% | 50.4% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 534 | 28.5% | 20.6% | 44.6% | 46.1% |
| Hypertension | 504 | 38.1% | 17.0% | 37.7% | 48.8% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 415 | 30.8% | 18.5% | 43.4% | 48.1% |
| Hip impairment | 397 | 22.4% | 14.2% | 50.1% | 53.8% |
| Shoulder impairment | 391 | 20.5% | 14.3% | 56.5% | 53.0% |
| Migraine | 371 | 37.2% | 30.1% | 42.3% | 42.2% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 317 | 34.7% | 20.4% | 53.0% | 51.7% |
| Ankle impairment | 312 | 22.1% | 16.8% | 51.6% | 50.4% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 276 | 29.7% | 19.9% | 37.0% | 40.1% |
| Major depressive disorder | 217 | 47.0% | 34.5% | 29.0% | 34.2% |
Judge Gayle Strommen's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 456 | 41.0% | 38.2% | 55.9% |
| 2019 | 1,112 | 45.9% | 36.6% | 52.6% |
| 2020 | 1,020 | 41.5% | 37.3% | 47.9% |
| 2021 | 967 | 39.4% | 34.2% | 46.8% |
| 2022 | 833 | 49.2% | 30.4% | 43.8% |
| 2023 | 852 | 48.0% | 29.1% | 46.4% |
| 2024 | 1,101 | 42.8% | 31.5% | 43.1% |
| 2025 | 990 | 45.9% | 36.6% | 39.2% |
| 2026 | 387 | 49.6% | 31.8% | 35.4% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Gayle Strommen's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established547
- In-service noise exposure conceded118
- Service connection established113
- Caused by the service-connected disability53
- Continuity of symptomatology since service34
- Presumption of soundness not rebutted17
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability15
- Positive nexus opinion from VA examiner13
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis234
- Current diagnosis established131
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim124
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service99
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis96
- Service records negative or silent67
- Already at the maximum schedular rating53
- Criteria for higher rating not met12
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 Strommen decisions
Granted
Favorable finding of current heart condition; Service-connected hypertension established; Prohibitive VA opinion linking hypertension to atrial fibrillation
Current disability established; In-service incurrence established through documentation and medical literature; Nexus established by probative evidence and inadequate negative opinions
Persian Gulf Veteran status verified by DoD data.; Migraines diagnosed in Oct 2020 VA exam.; Migraines considered qualifying chronic disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.
Denied
Audiological results from January 2024 and June 2024 examinations.; Results correspond to Level I impairment in both ears under Table IV of 38 C.F.R. § 4.85.; Intersection points under Table VII of 38 C.F.R. § 4.85 indicate a noncompensable rating.
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are used to rate asthma under DC 6602.; Veteran's PFT results (FEV-1/FVC 79.2% predicted post-bronchodilator) align with 10% rating criteria.; Veteran does not require daily medication, urgent treatment, or systemic corticosteroids.
Described as mild by VA examiner; Mild pain, no paresthesias/numbness; Normal reflexes and muscle strength
Research your Judge Gayle 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 (2018–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.