VA Case Opinion Search
What are "Cases"?
VA case law = legal decisions that interpret how VA rules should be applied.
These decisions don’t create the law (like Congress does), but they explain how the law works in real situations—which is incredibly powerful.
This may be helpful in denials, appeals, connecting secondary conditions, or other situations where you need evidence of a decision the VA previously made.
Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA)
Reviews VA claim decisions when veterans appeal
Issues thousands of decisions per year
Applies VA regulations (like CFR 38)
Important:
- These are based on real cases. BUT they are not binding precedent
- They are still very useful for patterns and insights
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC)
Federal court reviewing BVA decisions
Issues published legal opinions
These ARE:
- Binding precedent on the VA
Used to define how rules must be applied
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- Reviews CAVC decisions (higher-level appeals)
Handles major legal interpretations
Supreme Court of the United States
- Rarely involved
- Only hears major constitutional/legal questions
Enter a disability or condition above to find relevant BVA decisions, CAVC opinions, and legal resources.
Examples: PTSD, knee condition, sleep apnea, tinnitus, back pain, migraine, GERD
💡 Search Tips for ""
- Add "service connection" to find cases about establishing service connection
- Add "rating" or "evaluation" to find cases about disability percentages
- Add "secondary" to find cases about secondary service connection
- Add "CUE" to find Clear and Unmistakable Error cases
- Add "TDIU" to find Total Disability Individual Unemployability cases
🏷️ Click to add common legal terms:
Search decisions from the Board of Veterans' Appeals via USA.gov. BVA decisions can be cited as persuasive authority and show how the VA interprets regulations.
Search BVA DecisionsSearch published opinions from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. CAVC decisions are binding precedent on the VA and BVA.
Search CAVC OpinionsSearch case law across all federal courts including CAVC, Federal Circuit appeals, and related veterans law cases.
Search Google ScholarSearch Cornell's Legal Information Institute for 38 CFR regulations, U.S. Code, and legal encyclopedias related to veterans law.
Search Cornell LIISearch the Veterans Law Library for encyclopedic articles, case summaries, and practical guidance on veterans benefits law.
Search Veterans Law LibrarySearch Justia's free database of federal court opinions, including Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims decisions.
Search Justia