Veterans Law Judge
Judge Tanya Smith: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2026, Veterans Law Judge Tanya Smith signed 8,387 Board decisions covering 17,225 condition issues. The judge granted 19.2% of those issues, denied 32.0% and remanded 46.1%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 19.8% and remanded 47.1%, so this judge's grant rate is close to the Board's and the remand rate is close to it.
Decisions
8,387
2017–2026
Issues decided
17,225
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
19.2%
Board, same conditions: 19.8%
Issues remanded
46.1%
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 | 1,453 | 16.1% | 17.3% | 48.5% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 930 | 12.8% | 19.6% | 33.5% | 34.6% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 788 | 33.1% | 28.8% | 32.9% | 38.2% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 631 | 20.8% | 20.7% | 44.8% | 46.1% |
| Tinnitus | 628 | 24.4% | 39.7% | 29.5% | 22.7% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 555 | 24.0% | 26.2% | 50.5% | 50.3% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 510 | 23.5% | 18.6% | 40.4% | 48.1% |
| Hypertension | 488 | 16.0% | 17.2% | 49.4% | 48.7% |
| Migraine | 386 | 32.4% | 30.1% | 40.2% | 42.2% |
| Shoulder impairment | 383 | 10.7% | 14.3% | 52.7% | 53.0% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 373 | 17.7% | 20.6% | 55.8% | 51.7% |
| Hip impairment | 319 | 12.9% | 14.4% | 51.1% | 53.8% |
| Ankle impairment | 298 | 19.5% | 16.8% | 44.3% | 50.5% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 274 | 21.9% | 19.9% | 38.7% | 40.1% |
| Major depressive disorder | 221 | 41.2% | 34.6% | 27.1% | 34.3% |
Judge Tanya Smith's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 720 | 22.1% | 46.9% | 51.9% |
| 2018 | 1,011 | 25.6% | 53.2% | 49.9% |
| 2019 | 979 | 31.9% | 46.5% | 49.6% |
| 2020 | 947 | 22.8% | 44.5% | 56.2% |
| 2021 | 953 | 27.3% | 38.8% | 55.5% |
| 2022 | 940 | 31.2% | 32.6% | 58.8% |
| 2023 | 782 | 30.3% | 37.3% | 57.4% |
| 2024 | 824 | 36.8% | 34.6% | 47.8% |
| 2025 | 950 | 45.3% | 31.6% | 40.4% |
| 2026 | 281 | 48.8% | 33.8% | 36.3% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Tanya Smith's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established245
- Caused by the service-connected disability58
- Service connection established38
- In-service noise exposure conceded34
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service26
- Continuity of symptomatology since service17
- Already at the maximum schedular rating16
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability12
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim337
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service243
- No current diagnosis199
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis173
- Service records negative or silent126
- Current diagnosis established88
- Already at the maximum schedular rating50
- Continuity of symptomatology since service29
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 Tanya Smith decisions
Granted
Separate rating allowed for limitation of flexion; Flexion limited to 40 degrees on flare-up; Satisfies criteria for 10% rating under DC 5260
Detailed accounts of in-service racial discrimination and personal assault.; Corroborated by service records and private medical opinions.; Private opinions found probative due to personal treatment and familiarity with history.
Current diagnosis of tinnitus; Conceded in-service hazardous noise exposure; Competent and credible lay statements of tinnitus onset during service; Continuity of symptoms; Reasonable doubt resolved in Veteran's favor
Denied
Evidence did not meet criteria for 50% rating (extension to 45 degrees); Examiner's findings estimated full extension; Consideration of ameliorating effects of medication by examiner
No in-service complaints or treatment for diabetes.; No presumptive basis for service connection.; No medical opinion linking diabetes to service.; Lay testimony insufficient to establish secondary connection via obesity.
10 percent is the maximum schedular rating for Morton's neuroma under DC 5279.; No other diagnostic code is more appropriate.; Evidence does not show functional impairment equivalent to loss of use of a foot.
Research your Judge Tanya Smith 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.