Veterans Law Judge
Judge Katherine Kiemle Buckley: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge Katherine Kiemle Buckley signed 416 Board decisions covering 936 condition issues. The judge granted 13.0% of those issues, denied 49.7% and remanded 35.4%. 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 below it.
Decisions
416
2017–2026
Issues decided
936
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
13.0%
Board, same conditions: 19.6%
Issues remanded
35.4%
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 | 74 | 8.1% | 17.3% | 36.5% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 39 | 2.6% | 19.5% | 43.6% | 34.6% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 31 | 35.5% | 28.9% | 38.7% | 38.1% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 31 | 22.6% | 20.5% | 35.5% | 51.7% |
| Hypertension | 30 | 6.7% | 17.2% | 16.7% | 48.8% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 29 | 13.8% | 26.2% | 34.5% | 50.3% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 27 | 3.7% | 20.7% | 44.4% | 46.1% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 24 | 8.3% | 18.7% | 33.3% | 48.0% |
| Hip impairment | 23 | 13.0% | 14.3% | 39.1% | 53.8% |
| Tinnitus | 22 | 27.3% | 39.6% | 27.3% | 22.7% |
Judge Katherine Kiemle Buckley's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 148 | 26.4% | 45.9% | 55.4% |
| 2021 | 215 | 24.7% | 64.2% | 43.3% |
| 2022 | 47 | 23.4% | 38.3% | 55.3% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Katherine Kiemle Buckley's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established5
- Service connection established4
- Symptoms met criteria for 30 percent rating2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim37
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service24
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis16
- Service records negative or silent11
- No current diagnosis7
- Current diagnosis established6
- Already at the maximum schedular rating6
- No continuity of symptomatology6
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 Katherine Kiemle Buckley decisions
Granted
Evidence in equipoise, benefit of doubt applied.; In-service symptoms and post-service diagnoses support claim.; Prior VA nexus opinion flawed.; Appellant testimony found credible.
Evidence did not show actual improvement in disability or functional ability.; August 2015 VA examination deemed insufficient for reduction.; Veteran's reports of pain and functional loss were found credible.
Forward flexion limited to 60 degrees prior to August 11, 2015, and 50 degrees thereafter.; Pain and functional impairment noted, but not meeting criteria for higher ratings.; Bed rest was not prescribed by a physician, a requirement for higher ratings under DC 5243.
Denied
Criteria for evaluation exceeding 10% not met; No functional loss due to pain or other factors noted; No ankylosis, instability, or significant limitation of motion
Prior to August 11, 2015, symptoms approximated mild incomplete paralysis.; Since August 11, 2015, symptoms approximated moderate incomplete paralysis.; No severe symptoms, complete paralysis, or involvement of other nerves noted.
New and relevant evidence not received; Prior decision final due to no appeal and no timely new/material evidence; Additional treatment records did not address service connection
Research your Judge Katherine Kiemle Buckley 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.