Renicker v. United States

17 Cl. Ct. 611, 1989 U.S. Claims LEXIS 137, 1989 WL 97482
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedJuly 13, 1989
DocketNo. 535-86C
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 17 Cl. Ct. 611 (Renicker v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Renicker v. United States, 17 Cl. Ct. 611, 1989 U.S. Claims LEXIS 137, 1989 WL 97482 (cc 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

ROBINSON, Judge.

This action for military disability compensation pursuant to 10 U.S.C. §§ 1201 et seq. comes before the court on defendant’s motion for summary judgment. Plaintiff opposes defendant’s motion but has not filed a cross-motion for summary judgment. See RUSCC 83.2(e).

In his complaint, plaintiff alleges that a decision by an Army Board for the Correction of Military Records (ABCMR), denying plaintiff’s request to reverse an administrative determination that the loss of his left eye was not incurred in the line of duty due to his own misconduct, was not founded upon credible, substantial and competent evidence. Further, plaintiff claims that the Army denied him due process because he was not granted the evidentiary hearing which he demanded. Thus, plaintiff seeks a trial de novo in this court on his line of duty determination. Defendant contends in its motion for summary judgment that plaintiff cannot sustain his burden of proving that the ABCMR decision was arbitrary or capricious. Defendant argues also that plaintiff has waived his right to contest his line of duty determination in this court because he withdrew his request for a formal Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) hearing. For the reasons stated in the opinion which follows, defendant’s motion for summary judgment is granted.

FACTS

While serving on active duty in the United States Army, assigned to 1st BN, 51st Infantry, at Crailsheim, West Germany, plaintiff suffered an injury that resulted in the loss of his left eye. The circumstances of this injury remain in dispute.

[613]*613At approximately 10:00 p.m. on May 15, 1982, plaintiff, who was not in a duty status, went to a beer hall. As the result of beers he had consumed earlier that day at a platoon party and three beers he consumed at the beer hall, he was, in his own words, “drunk.” He became involved in an argument about a chair with Private Joseph A. Peters, an individual whom he did not know. In an ensuing altercation, plaintiff was struck in the left eye with a beer mug or beer bottle.

According to plaintiff, he did not strike or swing at anyone before being struck in the eye. However, according to Private Peters, who hit plaintiff, he did so only after plaintiff began “swinging” at him. Also, according to Private Douglas E. Hively, a witness, Private Peters struck plaintiff after plaintiff punched Peters first.

On October 19, 1982, a Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) found that plaintiff’s lack of binocular vision precluded him from the satisfactory performance of duties expected of an infantryman in plaintiff’s grade. The PEB recommended permanent retirement with a 40 percent disability rating. The PEB forwarded its conclusion to the Adjutant General, requesting a line of duty determination regarding plaintiff’s injury.

Based upon a Criminal Investigation Division (CID) report of the incident, a line of duty investigating officer recommended a finding that plaintiff incurred his injuries “not in the line of duty — due to his own misconduct.” The appointing and reviewing authorities approved this finding. Plaintiff appealed this determination, but on November 18, 1983, the Status Determination Division, Department of the Army, concluded “that the evidence is sufficient to support the findings of NOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY — DUE TO OWN MISCONDUCT. The evidence presented in the investigation indicates that Private Renicker was equally at fault in the altercation that caused his injury.”

On December 21, 1983, plaintiff’s case was returned to the U.S. Army Physical Disability Agency for physical disability processing. On January 10, 1984, plaintiff’s civilian counsel, Mr. Arthur B. Cunningham, requested a formal PEB hearing. The request stated: “You are further advised that the Line of Duty Investigation determination that is the predicate for this adverse decision is under appeal.”

Plaintiff and his military and civilian counsel received a notice dated February 9, 1984, of plaintiff’s formal PEB hearing scheduled for February 27, 1984, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. The notice stated: “You and your counsel ... are advised that a formal PEB hearing is NOT the forum to argue a Line of Duty decision.” In a February 27, 1984 memorandum, plaintiff, acting through his military counsel, Captain Aleksandra M. Rohde, withdrew his request for a formal PEB hearing and expressed his understanding “that a formal PEB is not the forum in which to argue a line of duty determination (basis for revision).” The PEB met as scheduled on February 27, 1984, and reaffirmed that plaintiff’s injury rendered him unfit for duty. Since plaintiff had received an adverse line of duty determination, the PEB concluded that plaintiff’s injury was not compensable under the Army disability program. Thus, plaintiff was separated on March 30, 1984, from active service without military disability benefits.

On May 5, 1984, plaintiff applied to the ABCMR requesting that his record be corrected to show that his injury was incurred in the line of duty upon the grounds that (1) the determination was based upon “perjured” evidence; (2) plaintiff had not been afforded a hearing; and (3) no consideration was given his version of events. In a December 12, 1984 decision, the ABCMR unanimously concluded that the disability proceedings were conducted in accordance with the applicable law and regulations, that no evidence established that the determination was based upon “perjured” evidence, and that the regulations did not require a formal hearing. Thus, the ABCMR denied plaintiff’s application.

DISCUSSION

Summary disposition requires that no genuine dispute exists as to any material [614]*614fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. 242, 247, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2509, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The movant has the burden of establishing that there is no material fact in dispute and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 1608, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970); Molinaro v. Fannon/Courier Corp., 745 F.2d 651, 653-54 (Fed.Cir.1984). The party opposing the motion has the burden of showing sufficient evidence that there is a genuine issue of material fact in dispute. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). “The evidence of the non-movant is to be believed, and all justifiable inferences are to be drawn in his favor ...” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. at 255, 106 S.Ct. at 2513. Defendant has persuaded the court that its motion for summary judgment should be granted.

In the instant case, the court is reviewing plaintiff’s separation from active service without military disability benefits “through the prism of a correction board.” Cohn v. United States, 15 Cl.Ct. 778, 789 (1988). Thus, the court’s review is limited:

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Bluebook (online)
17 Cl. Ct. 611, 1989 U.S. Claims LEXIS 137, 1989 WL 97482, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/renicker-v-united-states-cc-1989.