Veterans Law Judge
Judge Michelle P. Katz: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2020 to 2022, Veterans Law Judge Michelle P. Katz signed 328 Board decisions covering 788 condition issues. The judge granted 12.7% of those issues, denied 30.7% and remanded 55.3%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 19.7% and remanded 47.1%, so this judge's grant rate is below the Board's and the remand rate is above it.
Decisions
328
2020–2022
Issues decided
788
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
12.7%
Board, same conditions: 19.7%
Issues remanded
55.3%
Board, same conditions: 47.1%
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 | 79 | 20.3% | 17.3% | 48.1% | 51.1% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 37 | 5.4% | 20.7% | 51.4% | 46.1% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 34 | 17.6% | 28.9% | 52.9% | 38.1% |
| Hearing loss | 28 | 10.7% | 19.5% | 46.4% | 34.6% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 25 | 12.0% | 26.2% | 56.0% | 50.3% |
| Hypertension | 24 | 8.3% | 17.2% | 66.7% | 48.7% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 21 | 4.8% | 18.7% | 52.4% | 48.0% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 20 | 20.0% | 20.5% | 50.0% | 51.7% |
Judge Michelle P. Katz's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 191 | 26.2% | 55.5% | 63.4% |
| 2021 | 36 | 33.3% | 55.6% | 47.2% |
| 2022 | 101 | 30.7% | 44.6% | 54.5% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Michelle P. Katz's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established14
- VA examiner's negative nexus opinion found inadequate2
- Continuity of symptomatology since service2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim20
- Service records negative or silent15
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis9
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service8
- No current diagnosis7
- Current diagnosis established7
- No continuity of symptomatology4
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability2
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 Michelle P. Katz decisions
Granted
Evidence is at least in equipoise regarding 70% rating criteria; Symptoms include depression, anxiety, anger, impaired impulse control, prior suicidal ideation; Resolving reasonable doubt in Veteran's favor
Resolving reasonable doubt in Veteran's favor; At least as likely as not related to active service; Aggravated by service-connected right ankle disability; Private provider opinion found probative; VA examiner opinion inadequate
Favorable private examiner opinion linking cervical spine disability to lumbar spine condition; Veteran testimony of gradual onset after back condition; Medical literature supports association between lumbar and cervical spine disabilities; Resolving doubt in veteran's favor due to equipoise
Denied
Lay statements and medical evidence did not establish need for regular aid and attendance prior to Jan 23, 2014.; Veteran was generally capable of independent activities with occasional help.; No formal or informal claim for SMC filed prior to Jan 23, 2014.
Evidence persuasively against increased rating for all periods; Symptoms did not meet criteria for higher ratings (20%, 40%, 50%); No ankylosis found; pain did not result in functional loss meeting higher criteria
Pre-existing left knee condition noted at enlistment examination.; Diagnosed with patellar tendinitis prior to service.; VA examinations opined condition was less likely than not related to service and not aggravated beyond natural progression.; Veteran's lay testimony regarding aggravation not considered medically competent.
Research your Judge Michelle P. Katz 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 (2020–2022) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.