Veterans Law Judge
Judge J. Saikh: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2020 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge J. Saikh signed 904 Board decisions covering 1,577 condition issues. The judge granted 20.7% of those issues, denied 23.0% and remanded 53.2%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 20.6% and remanded 46.2%, so this judge's grant rate is close to the Board's and the remand rate is above it.
Decisions
904
2020–2026
Issues decided
1,577
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
20.7%
Board, same conditions: 20.6%
Issues remanded
53.2%
Board, same conditions: 46.2%
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 | 135 | 14.1% | 17.3% | 54.1% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 86 | 26.7% | 19.5% | 38.4% | 34.6% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 81 | 27.2% | 26.2% | 53.1% | 50.3% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 81 | 28.4% | 28.9% | 42.0% | 38.1% |
| Tinnitus | 74 | 45.9% | 39.6% | 20.3% | 22.8% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 46 | 19.6% | 18.7% | 52.2% | 48.0% |
| Hypertension | 40 | 17.5% | 17.2% | 57.5% | 48.7% |
| Shoulder impairment | 40 | 12.5% | 14.3% | 72.5% | 53.0% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 38 | 10.5% | 20.7% | 71.1% | 46.0% |
| Migraine | 37 | 24.3% | 30.2% | 51.4% | 42.2% |
| Hip impairment | 35 | 2.9% | 14.4% | 77.1% | 53.8% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 28 | 32.1% | 19.9% | 39.3% | 40.1% |
| Paralysis of sciatic nerve or external popliteal nerve | 24 | 45.8% | 22.0% | 37.5% | 49.5% |
| Ankle impairment | 24 | 29.2% | 16.8% | 58.3% | 50.4% |
| Cervical spine limitation of motion | 22 | 13.6% | 13.2% | 59.1% | 58.4% |
Judge J. Saikh's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 142 | 16.2% | 12.7% | 70.4% |
| 2023 | 192 | 26.0% | 21.4% | 57.3% |
| 2024 | 328 | 35.7% | 33.5% | 49.1% |
| 2025 | 164 | 35.4% | 47.0% | 47.0% |
| 2026 | 46 | 50.0% | 32.6% | 37.0% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge J. Saikh's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established28
- Service connection established9
- Caused by the service-connected disability6
- In-service noise exposure conceded5
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service4
- Continuity of symptomatology since service3
- Private medical opinion found highly probative3
- Occupational and social impairment in most areas2
Most common reasons in denials
- Service records negative or silent34
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service19
- No current diagnosis16
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis11
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim9
- Current diagnosis established7
- Separation examination normal4
- Continuity of symptomatology since service4
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 J. Saikh decisions
Granted
VA failed to provide proper notice regarding incorrect intent-to-file form; Unambiguous intent to file established good cause for extension; No evidence established entitlement to 50% rating prior to March 31, 2015
Private DBQ described significant impairment in most areas.; Symptoms included preference for isolation, struggles with emotional expression, memory difficulties, and impact on relationships.; VA examiner noted milder symptoms, but private DBQ's detailed findings warranted higher rating.
AOJ's favorable finding is binding; Criteria for service connection met
Denied
No current disability found; Private chiropractor opinion lacked competence and rationale; VA examiners found allergic rhinitis, not sinusitis; Evidence weighed against service connection
Veteran did not meet criteria for higher fibromyalgia rating.; Symptoms attributed to other diagnosed conditions or post-service injuries.; Separate evaluations for other conditions prevent pyramiding.
Weight of evidence against claim; Private opinion less probative than VA opinion; Lack of corroborating evidence for in-service injury
Research your Judge J. Saikh 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 (2020–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.