Veterans Law Judge
Judge Michael J. Skaltsounis: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge Michael J. Skaltsounis signed 8,944 Board decisions covering 18,298 condition issues. The judge granted 29.2% of those issues, denied 17.0% and remanded 51.1%. 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 above the Board's and the remand rate is above it.
Decisions
8,944
2017–2026
Issues decided
18,298
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
29.2%
Board, same conditions: 19.8%
Issues remanded
51.1%
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 | 1,448 | 27.1% | 17.2% | 54.2% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 903 | 40.4% | 19.3% | 29.2% | 34.6% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 843 | 38.9% | 28.8% | 39.6% | 38.1% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 737 | 36.9% | 20.5% | 44.1% | 46.1% |
| Tinnitus | 616 | 59.1% | 39.4% | 17.7% | 22.8% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 588 | 53.6% | 26.0% | 38.4% | 50.5% |
| Hypertension | 529 | 22.1% | 17.1% | 55.2% | 48.7% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 430 | 26.5% | 18.6% | 53.3% | 48.0% |
| Shoulder impairment | 417 | 22.5% | 14.2% | 60.7% | 53.0% |
| Migraine | 376 | 39.1% | 30.1% | 42.3% | 42.2% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 364 | 24.2% | 20.5% | 63.2% | 51.6% |
| Hip impairment | 322 | 21.4% | 14.3% | 55.6% | 53.8% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 300 | 28.3% | 19.9% | 42.3% | 40.0% |
| Ankle impairment | 271 | 30.6% | 16.7% | 52.0% | 50.4% |
| Major depressive disorder | 240 | 44.6% | 34.5% | 37.1% | 34.2% |
Judge Michael J. Skaltsounis's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 771 | 23.3% | 40.2% | 55.8% |
| 2018 | 1,134 | 35.4% | 33.7% | 61.4% |
| 2019 | 1,188 | 43.7% | 30.9% | 55.8% |
| 2020 | 1,118 | 40.8% | 24.3% | 59.2% |
| 2021 | 1,023 | 47.2% | 20.6% | 57.3% |
| 2022 | 846 | 50.1% | 18.3% | 52.7% |
| 2023 | 773 | 50.5% | 18.1% | 55.8% |
| 2024 | 825 | 55.2% | 19.0% | 47.3% |
| 2025 | 935 | 56.7% | 24.7% | 49.3% |
| 2026 | 331 | 68.0% | 19.9% | 43.2% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Michael J. Skaltsounis's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established367
- Continuity of symptomatology since service156
- In-service noise exposure conceded108
- Service connection established102
- Caused by the service-connected disability42
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service26
- New and material evidence submitted24
- Service records negative or silent23
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim220
- No current diagnosis126
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service94
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis65
- Already at the maximum schedular rating53
- Current diagnosis established46
- Service records negative or silent45
- Criteria for higher rating not met11
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 Michael J. Skaltsounis decisions
Granted
Intent to file received July 27, 2022; Formal claim received June 29, 2023; Claim filed within one year of intent to file
Prostate cancer is eligible for presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.; No presumptive service connection due to lack of Vietnam service or documented AO exposure.; Board found evidence in approximate balance for direct service connection of herbicide exposure.; Veteran's lay statements regarding AO exposure were found credible and probative.; Benefit of the doubt applied to grant direct service connection.
Criteria for 10 percent rating met; Evidence shows FEV-1/FVC ratio between 71-80%
Denied
No current disability for VA purposes; VA audiology exam showed normal hearing; Veteran's lay testimony outweighed by objective testing
Evidence showed muscle spasms and antalgic gait, supporting the 20% rating.; Symptoms did not meet criteria for higher ratings (flexion limited to 30 degrees or ankylosis).; Painful motion considered but did not warrant higher rating.
Veteran sought earlier effective date for service connection of back condition.; Intent to file received March 11, 2024; claim received September 25, 2024 (within one year).; Rating decision granted effective date of January 1, 2024 (day after separation).; Board found no entitlement to an earlier effective date.
Research your Judge Michael J. Skaltsounis 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 (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.