Edward R. Andrews, Jr. v. Anthony J. Principi

18 Vet. App. 177, 2004 U.S. Vet. App. LEXIS 383, 2004 WL 1447640
CourtUnited States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
DecidedJune 29, 2004
Docket98-1849
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 18 Vet. App. 177 (Edward R. Andrews, Jr. v. Anthony J. Principi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edward R. Andrews, Jr. v. Anthony J. Principi, 18 Vet. App. 177, 2004 U.S. Vet. App. LEXIS 383, 2004 WL 1447640 (Cal. 2004).

Opinions

GREENE, Judge, filed the opinion of the Court. STEINBERG, Judge, filed an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part.

GREENE, Judge:

The veteran, Edward R. Andrews, Jr., appealed through counsel a September 8, 1998, Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) decision that found no clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a July 1983 VA regional office (RO) decision that granted him service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at a disability rating of 10%, or in a January 1985 RO decision that increased the rating for his service-connected PTSD from 10% to 30%. Record (R.) at 3. On January 24, 2000, the Court, by single-judge order, dismissed Mr. Andrews’ appeal on the basis that he had failed to allege any errors in the Board’s decision and therefore had abandoned the only issues addressed by the Board. Andrews v. West, 17 Vet.App. 337 (2000) (table). Thereafter, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit) vacated this Court’s January 2000 order and directed the Court to “decide the proper standard(s) for [our] review of the Board’s determination in this case respecting CUE and then to decide whether under the applicable standard of review the denial of the CUE claim was reversible error.” Andrews v. Principi, 25 Fed.Appx. 997, 998 (Fed.Cir.2001).

On February 27, 2003, the Court, in a single-judge memorandum decision, affirmed the September 8, 1998, Board decision. Andrews v. Principi, No. 98-1849, 2003 WL 1791207 (Vet.App. Feb.27, 2003). On March 14, 2003, the appellant, through counsel, filed a motion for reconsideration or, in the alternative, for a panel decision. On July 31, 2003, the Court, in a single-judge order, directed the Secretary to respond to the appellant’s motion; his response was received on September 4, 2003. On March 23, 2004, the single judge denied reconsideration, but the panel granted the motion for a panel decision. The February 27, 2003, single-judge memorandum decision is withdrawn, and this opinion is substituted in its place. Because the Court finds no merit in the appellant’s arguments, the Board decision will be affirmed.

I. FACTS

Mr. Andrews served on active duty in the U.S. Army from October 1966 to [179]*179March 1969, including service in Vietnam. R. at 15. A 1974 private hospital discharge summary listed diagnoses of a suicide attempt, depressive reaction, and schizoid personality. R. at 58. A November 1976 VA medical record listed a diagnosis of depression, and stated that the veteran “[h]as spent most of [the] time depressed to some extent for [the] last 6-7 y[ea]rs.” R. at 64. Other VA medical records from November 1976 also indicated treatment for depression. R. at 66-71.

A January 1981 VA medical record noted that Mr. Andrews had been admitted to a VA hospital that month, and contained diagnoses of transitory atypical psychosis, PTSD, alcohol abuse in remission, and a passive aggressive personality disorder. R. at 83. After participation in a “Vietnam Stress Group”, he was discharged with a prognosis of “[flair to good.” R. at 84. He submitted a statement detailing his experiences in Vietnam (R. at 86-87) and was scheduled for a VA medical examination, for which he failed to report (R. at 89, 91). As a result, in May 1981, an RO denied his claim, which appears to have been inferred from his prior statement (R. at 86-87). R. at 93.

In March 1983, Mr. Andrews sought to reopen his claim. R. at 96. The RO reopened his claim and in July 1983 awarded him service connection for PTSD, at a 10% rating. R. at 181. It appears that that decision was not appealed. See R. at 1-348. In September 1984, he asked for an increased rating for his service-connected PTSD. R. at 183. A December 1984 VA examination report recorded a diagnosis of PTSD, “severe and chronic.” R. at 203-OS. A January 1985 RO decision increased Mr. Andrews’ PTSD rating from 10% to 30%. R. at 205-06. That decision apparently was also not appealed. See R. at 1-348.

In March 1995, Mr. Andrews sought a permanent total disability rating and argued that there was CUE in both the July 1983 and January 1985 RO decisions. R. at 297-98. A June 1995 RO decision awarded him a permanent and total rating for PTSD but found no CUE in either RO decision, after stating that Mr. Andrews’ “assert[ion is] no more than a disagreement over matters of judgment and on this basis doesn’t meet the regulatory definition of’ CUE. R. at 307. In the September 1998 Board decision here on appeal, the Board concluded that, on the basis of the law and evidence in existence at the time, both the July 1983 and January 1985 RO decisions were correct, and that there was therefore no CUE in either decision. R. at 11-12. The Board further stated:

The arguments by the veteran and his representative for CUE in the 1983 and 1985[RO] decisions are no more than a simple disagreement with how the VA weighed and evaluated the facts, and as such, this does not rise to the level of CUE. The Court has stated that it must always be remembered that CUE is a very specific and rare kind of “error.” It is the kind of error, of fact or law, that when called to the attention of later reviewers compels the conclusion, to which reasonable minds could not differ, that the result would have been manifestly different but for the error. Fugo v. Brown, 6 Vet.App. 40, 43 (1993). The veteran has not pointed to such error in the subject [RO] decisions, and the Board is unable to discern such error.

R. at 12. Mr. Andrews then appealed to this Court.

In January 2000, this Court, in a single-judge order, dismissed the appeal from the Board’s September 1998 decision; the Court stated:

This Court has consistently held that any claims or issues not pursued on [180]*180appeal are considered abandoned. See Johnston v. Brown, 10 Vet.App. 80, 86 (1997); Phillips v. Brown, 10 Vet.App. 25, 27 (1997); Watai v. Brown, 9 Vet.App. 441, 443 (1996); Bucklinger v. Brown, 5 Vet.App. 435 (1993). Here, the appellant has failed to allege any errors in the Board’s decision and thus abandons the only issues addressed by the Board. On the other hand, Mr. Andrews’ counsel, citing Luallen v. Brown, 8 Vet.App. 92 (1995)[,] as legal authority, contends that questions of CUE are questions of law and thus subject to this Court’s de novo review.... But the Court cannot discern in Luallen any valid basis for that position. Moreover, despite counsel’s years of seasoned practice before this Court, he has not acknowledged case law that is contrary to this position or referred to controlling precedent.

Andrews v. West, supra. In December 2001, the Federal Circuit vacated this Court’s January 2000 order and remanded the case “for a disposition on the merits in accordance with this opinion, including the Veterans Court’s standard of review for the disposition by the Board of Andrews’ CUE claim.” Andrews v. Principi, 25 Fed.Appx. at 998-999. The Federal Circuit stated:

While Andrews may not explicitly state “the Board erred,” the fact that he is challenging the Board’s decision is clear, as the Board affirmed the [RO’s] decision denying the CUE claim.

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Bluebook (online)
18 Vet. App. 177, 2004 U.S. Vet. App. LEXIS 383, 2004 WL 1447640, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edward-r-andrews-jr-v-anthony-j-principi-cavc-2004.