Veterans Law Judge
Judge K. Parakkal: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge K. Parakkal signed 9,057 Board decisions covering 16,383 condition issues. The judge granted 17.3% of those issues, denied 24.9% and remanded 54.7%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 19.6% and remanded 47.5%, so this judge's grant rate is below the Board's and the remand rate is above it.
Decisions
9,057
2017–2026
Issues decided
16,383
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
17.3%
Board, same conditions: 19.6%
Issues remanded
54.7%
Board, same conditions: 47.5%
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 | 1,345 | 12.6% | 17.3% | 59.9% | 51.0% |
| Hearing loss | 898 | 18.7% | 19.5% | 42.1% | 34.5% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 748 | 27.7% | 28.9% | 45.7% | 38.0% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 607 | 16.5% | 20.7% | 55.7% | 46.0% |
| Tinnitus | 554 | 43.9% | 39.6% | 27.3% | 22.7% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 541 | 21.8% | 26.3% | 57.7% | 50.3% |
| Hypertension | 496 | 12.5% | 17.2% | 59.7% | 48.6% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 386 | 14.2% | 18.7% | 54.7% | 48.0% |
| Shoulder impairment | 349 | 10.6% | 14.3% | 61.0% | 53.0% |
| Migraine | 311 | 25.7% | 30.2% | 52.1% | 42.1% |
| Hip impairment | 310 | 9.7% | 14.4% | 63.5% | 53.7% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 305 | 15.1% | 20.6% | 61.0% | 51.6% |
| Ankle impairment | 293 | 10.2% | 16.9% | 60.1% | 50.3% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 281 | 20.6% | 20.0% | 43.1% | 40.0% |
| Major depressive disorder | 243 | 29.6% | 34.7% | 43.2% | 34.1% |
Judge K. Parakkal's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 732 | 21.4% | 35.1% | 62.0% |
| 2018 | 945 | 25.0% | 39.3% | 58.4% |
| 2019 | 1,027 | 29.6% | 38.9% | 57.4% |
| 2020 | 1,021 | 29.4% | 38.5% | 54.9% |
| 2021 | 1,035 | 30.4% | 35.1% | 53.6% |
| 2022 | 1,002 | 31.6% | 30.7% | 56.8% |
| 2023 | 983 | 29.6% | 32.7% | 57.4% |
| 2024 | 955 | 30.4% | 37.2% | 49.6% |
| 2025 | 984 | 32.3% | 35.2% | 49.2% |
| 2026 | 373 | 34.0% | 33.2% | 48.5% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge K. Parakkal's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established156
- Continuity of symptomatology since service52
- Service connection established51
- Caused by the service-connected disability48
- In-service noise exposure conceded35
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service20
- Already at the maximum schedular rating14
- Benefit-of-the-doubt rule applied10
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim225
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service218
- No current diagnosis180
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis142
- Service records negative or silent109
- Current diagnosis established91
- Already at the maximum schedular rating51
- No continuity of symptomatology28
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. Parakkal decisions
Granted
Competent evidence of current disability (PTSD diagnosis); In-service stressor identified and deemed adequate; Nexus opinion from VA examiner (at least as likely as not); Favorable opinion from private examiner (more likely than not)
Veteran's lay statements regarding personal assault and subsequent behavioral changes found competent and credible.; Private medical opinion linked symptoms to in-service experiences.; VA examination opined condition was at least as likely as not incurred due to in-service injury, acknowledging behavioral markers.
Private medical opinions found condition most likely related to Vietnam toxins and Agent Orange.; VA medical opinions found condition at least as likely as not caused by toxic exposure.; Electrodiagnostic testing showed generalized axonal polyneuropathy, consistent with toxin-induced conditions.
Denied
Board found 2018 and 2024 VA examinations to be most probative.; Evidence did not support polyps or >50% nasal obstruction prior to Sep 16, 2024.; Evidence did not support >50% nasal obstruction thereafter.; Veteran's subjective reports did not override objective findings.
VA examinations found no signs or symptoms attributable to thyroid condition.; Veteran's lay testimony regarding fatigue and cold intolerance not as probative as medical evidence.; Six-month evaluation period for 30% rating expired long ago; no residuals or related disorders present.
No new and relevant evidence submitted for hearing loss; Evidence preponderates against nexus to service; Request for updated hearing loss exam not new evidence
Research your Judge K. Parakkal 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.