Veterans Law Judge
Judge Theresa M. Catino: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2017 to 2022, Veterans Law Judge Theresa M. Catino signed 4,648 Board decisions covering 8,543 condition issues. The judge granted 23.8% of those issues, denied 27.0% and remanded 46.5%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 20.0% and remanded 46.2%, so this judge's grant rate is above the Board's and the remand rate is close to it.
Decisions
4,648
2017–2022
Issues decided
8,543
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
23.8%
Board, same conditions: 20.0%
Issues remanded
46.5%
Board, same conditions: 46.2%
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 | 723 | 20.9% | 17.2% | 45.2% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 711 | 36.0% | 19.4% | 29.3% | 34.6% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 450 | 26.2% | 28.9% | 41.6% | 38.1% |
| Tinnitus | 443 | 52.1% | 39.5% | 18.5% | 22.8% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 318 | 26.7% | 20.6% | 43.4% | 46.1% |
| Hypertension | 286 | 16.1% | 17.2% | 47.9% | 48.7% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 263 | 23.6% | 18.6% | 50.2% | 48.0% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 235 | 31.5% | 26.2% | 43.8% | 50.4% |
| Shoulder impairment | 221 | 20.4% | 14.3% | 53.4% | 53.0% |
| Ankle impairment | 164 | 23.8% | 16.8% | 41.5% | 50.5% |
| Peripheral nerve disorders | 158 | 31.0% | 20.5% | 48.7% | 51.7% |
| Diabetes mellitus | 154 | 17.5% | 20.0% | 46.8% | 40.0% |
| Migraine | 146 | 33.6% | 30.1% | 37.7% | 42.2% |
| Hip impairment | 140 | 15.7% | 14.3% | 51.4% | 53.8% |
| Major depressive disorder | 112 | 45.5% | 34.6% | 29.5% | 34.2% |
Judge Theresa M. Catino's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 373 | 22.5% | 32.7% | 60.9% |
| 2018 | 409 | 31.3% | 38.9% | 42.5% |
| 2019 | 1,158 | 30.6% | 42.4% | 51.6% |
| 2020 | 1,072 | 34.9% | 33.9% | 52.2% |
| 2021 | 1,129 | 39.2% | 28.8% | 46.6% |
| 2022 | 507 | 46.0% | 21.5% | 42.2% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Theresa M. Catino's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established161
- In-service noise exposure conceded64
- Continuity of symptomatology since service57
- Service connection established37
- Caused by the service-connected disability30
- New and material evidence submitted14
- Continuity of symptoms since service10
- New and material evidence received sufficient to reopen claim9
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim252
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis88
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service78
- No current diagnosis77
- Current diagnosis established59
- Service records negative or silent51
- No continuity of symptomatology43
- Already at the maximum schedular rating26
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 Theresa M. Catino decisions
Granted
Evidence in relative equipoise; Benefit of the doubt applied; VA examiner opinion based on inaccurate premise
Veteran's statements regarding in-service symptoms and continued treatment for BPH are given significant probative weight.; Post-service treatment records indicate BPH symptoms and treatment.; Resolving reasonable doubt in Veteran's favor, evidence establishes onset in service and continuity.
Continuity of symptoms since service; Benefit of the doubt applied; Lack of post-service treatment adequately explained
Denied
No claim prior to April 25, 2017; Effective date based on claim receipt date
No competent medical evidence of current disability; Symptoms attributed to post-service overuse; No functional impairment reported
No in-service injury or event documented for left upper extremity nerve condition; Service treatment records absent complaints/diagnosis for left upper extremity nerve condition; Medical reports contradicted veteran's assertions of symptoms during service
Research your Judge Theresa M. Catino 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 (2017–2022) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.