Veterans Law Judge
Judge Mariah N. Sim: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2021 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge Mariah N. Sim signed 737 Board decisions covering 1,547 condition issues. The judge granted 13.8% of those issues, denied 41.3% and remanded 43.4%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 20.5% and remanded 45.9%, so this judge's grant rate is below the Board's and the remand rate is below it.
Decisions
737
2021–2026
Issues decided
1,547
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
13.8%
Board, same conditions: 20.5%
Issues remanded
43.4%
Board, same conditions: 45.9%
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 | 141 | 15.6% | 17.3% | 37.6% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 66 | 7.6% | 19.5% | 30.3% | 34.6% |
| Tinnitus | 56 | 53.6% | 39.6% | 10.7% | 22.8% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 55 | 27.3% | 26.2% | 49.1% | 50.3% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 52 | 7.7% | 20.7% | 61.5% | 46.0% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 51 | 27.5% | 28.9% | 27.5% | 38.1% |
| Shoulder impairment | 46 | 8.7% | 14.3% | 56.5% | 53.0% |
| Migraine | 45 | 17.8% | 30.2% | 33.3% | 42.2% |
| Hypertension | 38 | 5.3% | 17.2% | 47.4% | 48.7% |
| Ankle impairment | 36 | 5.6% | 16.9% | 47.2% | 50.4% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 36 | 5.6% | 20.6% | 58.3% | 51.7% |
| Hip impairment | 35 | 0.0% | 14.4% | 40.0% | 53.8% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 35 | 14.3% | 18.7% | 48.6% | 48.0% |
| Paralysis of sciatic nerve or external popliteal nerve | 25 | 20.0% | 22.0% | 52.0% | 49.5% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 24 | 8.3% | 20.0% | 54.2% | 40.0% |
Judge Mariah N. Sim's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44 | 36.4% | 50.0% | 61.4% |
| 2022 | 211 | 20.4% | 45.0% | 57.8% |
| 2024 | 43 | 30.2% | 46.5% | 46.5% |
| 2025 | 323 | 30.0% | 50.8% | 45.8% |
| 2026 | 115 | 30.4% | 45.2% | 45.2% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Mariah N. Sim's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established20
- In-service noise exposure conceded4
- Caused by the service-connected disability4
- Service connection established3
- Private opinions found more probative3
- No competent VA etiology opinion against the claim3
- New and relevant evidence submitted2
- Probative private medical opinion2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis35
- Service records negative or silent21
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service15
- Already at the maximum schedular rating11
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis8
- Current diagnosis established6
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim6
- Service connection established5
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 Mariah N. Sim decisions
Granted
Veteran has current diagnosis of tinnitus.; In-service and post-service records document recurring complaints and treatment.; Inconsistencies in reported onset/affected ear not due to bad character or malingering.; Benefit of the doubt resolved in veteran's favor.
Favorable finding by AOJ for tinnitus; Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity; Probative private medical opinion supporting service connection; Inadequate VA examination opinion
Claim received Feb 13, 2024 via VA Form 21-526EZ; Amputation occurred in April 2022; Service connection granted as related to service-connected peripheral arterial disease
Denied
Insufficient evidence of characteristic prostrating attacks.; No evidence of completely prostrating and prolonged attacks.; Symptoms did not approximate criteria for higher ratings.; Ameliorative effects of medication considered, but development would be speculative.
Scars not found to be unstable.; Total area of left upper extremity scars (9.8 sq. cm.) did not meet criteria for higher rating.; Symptomatology found to be stable, precluding staged ratings.
No adequate medical opinion linking diastolic dysfunction to service or service-connected condition.; No adequate medical opinion linking renal hypertension to service or service-connected condition.; VA examinations based on incorrect diagnosis and did not consider diagnosed conditions.; Renal hypertension presupposes a causal kidney condition, which is not service-connected.; Evidence persuasively weighs against service connection.
Research your Judge Mariah N. Sim case
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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 (2021–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.