Veterans Law Judge
Judge Z. Sahraie: BVA decisions and outcomes
From 2021 to 2022, Veterans Law Judge Z. Sahraie signed 444 Board decisions covering 878 condition issues. The judge granted 18.8% of those issues, denied 37.6% and remanded 41.5%. For the same mix of conditions, the rest of the Board granted 20.3% and remanded 45.4%, so this judge's grant rate is close to the Board's and the remand rate is below it.
Decisions
444
2021–2022
Issues decided
878
One issue per condition per decision
Issues granted
18.8%
Board, same conditions: 20.3%
Issues remanded
41.5%
Board, same conditions: 45.4%
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 | 81 | 21.0% | 17.3% | 34.6% | 51.1% |
| Hearing loss | 60 | 25.0% | 19.5% | 23.3% | 34.6% |
| Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 40 | 22.5% | 28.9% | 30.0% | 38.1% |
| Hypertension | 28 | 28.6% | 17.1% | 57.1% | 48.7% |
| Degenerative arthritis of the spine (spondylosis) | 26 | 11.5% | 20.7% | 38.5% | 46.1% |
| Sleep apnea syndromes (obstructive central mixed) | 26 | 34.6% | 26.2% | 42.3% | 50.3% |
| Migraine | 25 | 20.0% | 30.2% | 48.0% | 42.2% |
| Intervertebral disc syndrome | 22 | 13.6% | 18.7% | 40.9% | 48.0% |
| Tinnitus | 21 | 47.6% | 39.6% | 14.3% | 22.8% |
| Shoulder impairment | 20 | 15.0% | 14.3% | 55.0% | 53.0% |
Judge Z. Sahraie's decisions by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 304 | 32.9% | 54.3% | 46.1% |
| 2022 | 140 | 30.0% | 43.6% | 53.6% |
Why the Board granted or denied issues in Judge Z. Sahraie's decisions
Most common reasons in grants
- Service connection established8
- Current diagnosis established6
- In-service noise exposure conceded5
- Resolving all doubt in veteran's favor2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim33
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service19
- No current diagnosis13
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis11
- Service records negative or silent10
- Already at the maximum schedular rating4
- Current diagnosis established3
- No total occupational and social impairment shown3
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 Z. Sahraie decisions
Granted
Meniscal tear with episodes of locking, pain, and crepitus.; Symptoms present throughout appeal period.; Warrants 20 percent rating under DC 5258.
Conflicting medical opinions regarding PTSD diagnosis.; Board found July 2021 private opinion persuasive.; Negative VA opinions given little weight due to inconsistencies.; Veteran's account of combat stressors found credible.; Private opinion linked PTSD to corroborated combat stressors.; Benefit of the doubt resolved in Veteran's favor.
Left ear hearing loss confirmed by VA and private audiological exams.; Service records and credible account of noise exposure support in-service acoustic trauma.; Hazardous noise exposure conceded due to service connection for tinnitus.; Evidence at least in equipoise, benefit of doubt applied.
Denied
Both VA examinations concluded mild incomplete paralysis in the left leg.; Veteran had normal muscle strength, reflexes, and sensation in the left leg.; Evidence did not support symptoms more severe than mild incomplete paralysis.
No objective evidence of limitation of extension or flexion to warrant higher rating.; Functional loss did not more nearly approximate criteria for higher ratings.; Painful motion considered but did not warrant higher rating.
No evidence of in-service onset or continuity of symptoms; VA examiners opined condition less likely than not related to service; Obesity identified as primary cause of current pain
Research your Judge Z. Sahraie 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 (2021–2022) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.