Veterans Law Judge
Judge Matthew W. Blackwelder: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge Matthew W. Blackwelder signed 9,201 Board decisions covering 17,404 condition issues. The judge granted 20.2% of those issues, denied 42.5% and remanded 34.2%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 19.8% and remanded 47.2%, so this judge's grant rate is close to the Board's and the remand rate is below it.
Decisions
9,201
2017–2026
Issues decided
17,404
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
20.2%
Board, same conditions: 19.8%
Issues remanded
34.2%
Board, same conditions: 47.2%
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 | 1,454 | 17.1% | 17.3% | 35.8% | 51.3% |
| Hearing loss | 985 | 22.7% | 19.5% | 20.5% | 34.7% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 795 | 23.3% | 28.9% | 32.2% | 38.2% |
| Tinnitus | 647 | 53.5% | 39.5% | 11.0% | 22.9% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 573 | 30.5% | 26.2% | 33.3% | 50.5% |
| Hypertension | 538 | 17.3% | 17.2% | 35.5% | 48.9% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 526 | 22.8% | 18.6% | 32.5% | 48.2% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 513 | 19.3% | 20.7% | 29.8% | 46.2% |
| Shoulder impairment | 407 | 12.8% | 14.3% | 31.9% | 53.2% |
| Migraine | 380 | 27.4% | 30.2% | 32.9% | 42.3% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 351 | 20.5% | 20.5% | 44.4% | 51.8% |
| Ankle impairment | 337 | 18.7% | 16.8% | 31.8% | 50.6% |
| Hip impairment | 331 | 17.2% | 14.3% | 38.7% | 53.9% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 326 | 26.7% | 19.9% | 25.8% | 40.2% |
| Cervical spine limitation of motion | 224 | 16.5% | 13.1% | 39.7% | 58.6% |
Judge Matthew W. Blackwelder's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 705 | 22.6% | 54.3% | 38.9% |
| 2018 | 1,047 | 29.3% | 54.0% | 43.3% |
| 2019 | 1,058 | 32.7% | 53.2% | 37.6% |
| 2020 | 997 | 31.4% | 54.9% | 35.8% |
| 2021 | 856 | 31.8% | 45.0% | 33.3% |
| 2022 | 858 | 37.5% | 38.1% | 44.8% |
| 2023 | 978 | 31.6% | 46.3% | 43.6% |
| 2024 | 1,073 | 35.8% | 47.3% | 34.0% |
| 2025 | 1,177 | 35.0% | 48.6% | 29.0% |
| 2026 | 452 | 35.2% | 46.7% | 28.1% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Matthew W. Blackwelder's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established141
- Continuity of symptomatology since service110
- In-service noise exposure conceded97
- Caused by the service-connected disability69
- Service connection established55
- Criteria for service connection met41
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service22
- Already at the maximum schedular rating15
Most common reasons in denials
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service399
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis343
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim253
- No current diagnosis195
- Service records negative or silent176
- Current diagnosis established99
- No continuity of symptomatology67
- Already at the maximum schedular rating51
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 Matthew W. Blackwelder decisions
Granted
In-service symptoms reported; Co-service member statement corroborates symptoms; Weight gain during service noted as risk factor; Benefit of the doubt applied
Service treatment records note onset of mental health symptoms more than a year into service.; Veteran credibly testified to continuity of symptoms post-service.; VA examiner's opinion based on inaccurate recitation of facts regarding symptom onset.
Symptoms of depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks, passive suicidal ideation, and difficulty adapting to stressful circumstances.; Occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.; Symptoms do not rise to the level of total occupational and social impairment required for a 100 percent rating.
Denied
STRs silent for right ankle complaints/treatment; Post-service VA exam normal with subjective pain; No current diagnosis of right ankle condition; Pain alone does not constitute disability per Saunders v. Wilkie
June 2003 claim did not explicitly or implicitly raise sleep apnea.; Chronic fatigue and insomnia alone do not reasonably infer sleep apnea.; No specific sleep apnea symptoms (snoring, choking) were described.
No evidence of symptomatic multiple myeloma; MGUS rated at 0 percent under DC 7712; No validated biomarkers for multiple myeloma
Research your Judge Matthew W. Blackwelder 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.