Veterans Law Judge
Judge J. T. Hutcheson: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge J. T. Hutcheson signed 4,532 Board decisions covering 7,558 condition issues. The judge granted 20.4% of those issues, denied 9.3% and remanded 68.4%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 20.2% and remanded 46.9%, so this judge's grant rate is close to the Board's and the remand rate is above it.
Decisions
4,532
2017–2026
Issues decided
7,558
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
20.4%
Board, same conditions: 20.2%
Issues remanded
68.4%
Board, same conditions: 46.9%
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 | 559 | 14.5% | 17.3% | 79.1% | 51.0% |
| Hearing loss | 369 | 10.6% | 19.5% | 59.9% | 34.5% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 345 | 31.3% | 28.9% | 57.1% | 38.0% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 315 | 22.9% | 20.6% | 72.1% | 45.9% |
| Tinnitus | 293 | 55.6% | 39.5% | 19.5% | 22.8% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 281 | 35.2% | 26.2% | 58.0% | 50.3% |
| Hypertension | 221 | 29.9% | 17.1% | 61.1% | 48.7% |
| Shoulder impairment | 180 | 12.8% | 14.3% | 81.1% | 52.9% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 178 | 17.4% | 18.7% | 76.4% | 47.9% |
| Migraine | 172 | 35.5% | 30.1% | 55.2% | 42.1% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 169 | 14.2% | 20.6% | 75.7% | 51.6% |
| Hip impairment | 153 | 15.0% | 14.3% | 78.4% | 53.7% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 137 | 19.0% | 20.0% | 65.0% | 39.9% |
| Ankle impairment | 128 | 9.4% | 16.9% | 85.2% | 50.3% |
| Major depressive disorder | 103 | 45.6% | 34.6% | 41.7% | 34.2% |
Judge J. T. Hutcheson's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 84 | 23.8% | 19.0% | 86.9% |
| 2019 | 45 | 26.7% | 17.8% | 88.9% |
| 2020 | 87 | 27.6% | 11.5% | 81.6% |
| 2021 | 322 | 27.6% | 11.2% | 71.1% |
| 2022 | 1,016 | 31.2% | 16.2% | 63.3% |
| 2023 | 842 | 25.4% | 14.1% | 66.5% |
| 2024 | 838 | 29.7% | 14.1% | 62.8% |
| 2025 | 966 | 34.1% | 20.1% | 55.7% |
| 2026 | 324 | 42.0% | 21.6% | 59.0% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge J. T. Hutcheson's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- In-service noise exposure conceded49
- Caused by the service-connected disability47
- Service connection established31
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability19
- Criteria for service connection met16
- Resolution of doubt in veteran's favor14
- Presumed exposure to herbicide agents14
- VA examiner diagnosed tinnitus14
Most common reasons in denials
- Already at the maximum schedular rating16
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service16
- Service records negative or silent15
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis10
- Lay statements insufficient for diagnosis10
- Service connection established9
- Criteria for service connection not met9
- No current diagnosis7
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. T. Hutcheson decisions
Granted
AOJ favorable finding of conceded stressor; Prior PTSD diagnoses in VA treatment records; Private psychological evaluation opined nexus to military stressors; Veteran's statements corroborated combat events; Evidence in equipoise regarding onset during service; Benefit of the doubt applied
Met schedular criteria for TDIU on and after January 31, 2018.; Claim for TDIU not continuously pursued prior to September 17, 2019.; Award of TDIU effective September 17, 2019.
Service connection may be granted for recurrent disability arising from disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active service.; The Agency of Original Jurisdiction determined erectile dysfunction was related to the service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood.; In the absence of clear and unmistakable error, service connection is granted.
Denied
Scar measured 8.5 square centimeters.; No underlying soft tissue damage.; No associated functional impairment.
Service connection for psychiatric disability was initially denied in December 1974.; No intervening claim or intent to file was received between December 1974 and November 2020.; The appropriate effective date is November 6, 2020, the date of receipt of the claim.
Service treatment records do not refer to hearing loss.; Service personnel records reflect MOS as equipment records and parts specialist.; February 2021 VA audiological exam showed normal hearing thresholds and speech recognition.; Veteran's lay testimony not competent to establish diagnosis meeting 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.; Preponderance of evidence against service connection.
Research your Judge J. T. Hutcheson 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 (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.