Veterans Law Judge
Judge K. J. Alibrando: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2021, Veterans Law Judge K. J. Alibrando signed 3,618 Board decisions covering 7,583 condition issues. The judge granted 14.7% of those issues, denied 28.7% and remanded 53.0%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 19.6% and remanded 47.3%, so this judge's grant rate is below the Board's and the remand rate is above it.
Decisions
3,618
2017–2021
Issues decided
7,583
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
14.7%
Board, same conditions: 19.6%
Issues remanded
53.0%
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 | 652 | 10.7% | 17.3% | 56.1% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 454 | 26.4% | 19.5% | 33.7% | 34.6% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 366 | 20.5% | 28.9% | 47.3% | 38.1% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 303 | 14.9% | 20.7% | 51.2% | 46.0% |
| Tinnitus | 271 | 41.7% | 39.6% | 26.6% | 22.7% |
| Hypertension | 240 | 10.0% | 17.2% | 53.8% | 48.7% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 208 | 17.3% | 26.3% | 53.8% | 50.3% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 202 | 13.9% | 18.7% | 55.0% | 48.0% |
| Shoulder impairment | 167 | 10.2% | 14.3% | 58.7% | 53.0% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 155 | 8.4% | 20.6% | 60.0% | 51.7% |
| Major depressive disorder | 148 | 27.7% | 34.7% | 40.5% | 34.2% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 144 | 9.0% | 20.0% | 44.4% | 40.0% |
| Migraine | 140 | 22.9% | 30.2% | 50.0% | 42.1% |
| Ankle impairment | 125 | 5.6% | 16.9% | 55.2% | 50.4% |
| Hip impairment | 112 | 8.9% | 14.4% | 51.8% | 53.8% |
Judge K. J. Alibrando's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 721 | 16.8% | 44.8% | 56.0% |
| 2018 | 972 | 22.4% | 41.4% | 59.0% |
| 2019 | 897 | 30.3% | 38.2% | 57.4% |
| 2020 | 831 | 33.9% | 37.5% | 55.2% |
| 2021 | 197 | 37.1% | 43.7% | 47.2% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge K. J. Alibrando's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established128
- Continuity of symptomatology since service43
- In-service noise exposure conceded31
- Caused by the service-connected disability17
- Service connection established16
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability5
- New and material evidence received to reopen claim5
- Credible supporting evidence of in-service stressor4
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim216
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service104
- No current diagnosis92
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis79
- Current diagnosis established49
- Service records negative or silent37
- Continuity of symptomatology since service19
- 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 K. J. Alibrando decisions
Granted
Evidence regarding TDIU was in relative equipoise.; Conflicting opinions from VA examinations and private vocational assessment.; Grant based on inability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected lower back disability.
Evidence in equipoise; Benefit of doubt resolved in veteran's favor; Related to in-service abdominal pain
Severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms approximated 70% criteria; Suicidal ideation, obsessional symptoms, and poor relationships noted; Preponderance of evidence weighed in favor of 70% rating
Denied
No in-service complaints of wrist/hand issues; Separation exam showed normal upper extremities; Contemporaneous service records weigh against later reports
Hypertension manifested 32 years after service.; VA examiner opined less likely than not related to service/herbicide exposure.; Morbid obesity deemed more likely cause than herbicide exposure.; No nexus opinion favoring Veteran's claim.; Hypertension predates diabetes diagnosis and is stable.
No objective evidence of OSA in service.; VA examiner's opinion attributed OSA to current obesity.; VA examiner found no medical relationship between mood disorder and OSA.
Research your Judge K. J. Alibrando 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 (2017–2021) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.