Schwartz v. United States

26 Cl. Ct. 992, 1992 U.S. Claims LEXIS 440, 1992 WL 234102
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedSeptember 8, 1992
DocketNo. 91-1193C
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 26 Cl. Ct. 992 (Schwartz 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
Schwartz v. United States, 26 Cl. Ct. 992, 1992 U.S. Claims LEXIS 440, 1992 WL 234102 (cc 1992).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

FUTEY, Judge.

This military pay case is before the court on cross-motions for summary judgment. Plaintiff, a former staff sergeant in the United States Army, received severe and permanent injuries in a motorcycle accident. The Army determined that the accident was the result of excessive speed and voluntary intoxication and denied plaintiff disability retirement and benefits. Plaintiff alleges that defendant’s determination was not in accordance with military regulations and was arbitrary, capricious, and not supported by substantial evidence. Plaintiff seeks disability retirement pay with benefits, and amendment of his military records to reflect that his injuries occurred in the line of duty. Defendant counters that plaintiff has failed to establish any procedural errors. Defendant also asserts that its decision was based on substantial evidence and was not arbitrary and capricious.

Factual Background

Plaintiff, Scott C. Schwartz, enlisted in the Army on July 9, 1981, and on September 25, 1987, was promoted to staff sergeant. On the evening of March 25, 1988, while on active duty at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, plaintiff went to an off-post restaurant where he ate pizza and drank beer. After leaving the restaurant plaintiff ran off the road on his motorcycle incurring serious injuries. A North Carolina Highway Patrol officer arrived on the scene. The accident report prepared by the officer [994]*994indicates that a chemical test was administered to the plaintiff at the scene. The officer issued plaintiff a citation for improperly passing a vehicle in an area that clearly indicated that passing was prohibited and for driving while intoxicated.

Plaintiff was transported to Womack Army Hospital at Fort Bragg and treated for his injuries. Later that night, plaintiff was transferred to Duke University Medical Hospital where he underwent additional testing and surgery. After plaintiff’s condition stabilized, he was transferred back to Womack Hospital.

Plaintiff’s unit commander performed an informal line of duty investigation (LDI) on April 25, 1988.1 The investigating officer concluded that plaintiff’s injuries occurred in the line of duty.2

On June 1, 1988, a medical evaluation board (MEB) diagnosed plaintiff’s injuries. The MEB recommended that plaintiff’s record reflect severe permanent physical injuries and that he be referred to a physical evaluation board (PEB). The PEB, on June 7, 1988, determined that plaintiff was unfit for service.

The PEB notified plaintiff that his case had been processed as if a favorable determination had been made, pending a formal line of duty report. The PEB informed plaintiff that if the accident was found to have occurred while not in the line of duty, plaintiff would no longer be eligible for disability retirement benefits. In accordance with the PEB’s recommendation, plaintiff was placed on the Temporary Disability Retired List on July 22, 1988, and began to receive disability benefits.

In July 1988, defendant received a North Carolina Highway Patrol report indicating alcohol was involved in plaintiff’s accident. Once the report was received, a formal LDI was ordered and an investigating officer (10) was assigned to plaintiff's case. An Army memorandum dated December 7, 1988, indicates that a blood alcohol test from Womack was discovered showing that plaintiff’s blood alcohol level was .177 percent by volume. The North Carolina legal limit for intoxication is .10 percent by volume. Consequently, plaintiff’s disability benefits were suspended on August 10, 1988, pending the outcome of the formal LDI. Thereafter, the IO determined that plaintiff’s injuries were not incurred in the line of duty.

On May 22, 1989, plaintiff appealed the line of duty determination to the Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM). On February 26, 1990, PERSCOM denied plaintiff’s appeal, finding the evidence of intoxication and excessive speed sufficient to support the line of duty determination of misconduct. These results were automatically forwarded to the PEB.

The PEB reaffirmed its determination that plaintiff’s physical condition rendered him unfit to perform the duties of his grade and military occupational specialty. In addition, the PEB upheld PERSCOM’s determination that plaintiff’s injuries were the result of his own misconduct. Therefore, the PEB recommended that plaintiff be separated from the Army without disability benefits.

On March 20, 1990, plaintiff requested a hearing before a formal PEB. At the hearing, held on May 10, 1990, plaintiff’s military counsel presented new evidence. The evidence indicated that the North Carolina State Court charges against plaintiff had been voluntarily dismissed after the district court denied the prosecution a continuance [995]*995to obtain the blood alcohol test from the Highway Patrol. After considering this additional evidence, and the line of duty determination, the PEB upheld plaintiffs separation without disability benefits. Consequently, plaintiff was honorably discharged without disability retirement or benefits on July 5, 1990.

Plaintiff filed a complaint in this court on June 4, 1991, contesting the validity of the line of duty determination. In the complaint, plaintiff seeks disability pay from the date he was removed from the temporary disability retirement list, correction of his military records to reflect that his injuries resulted in the line of duty, and continued status as a medically retired member of the armed services.

On November 4, 1991, defendant filed a motion for summary judgment asserting that the decision reached by the PEB and PERSCOM is supported by substantial evidence and was not reached capriciously, arbitrarily or contrary to law or regulation. On January 24, 1992, plaintiff filed a cross-motion for summary judgment indicating that he is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law as there is insufficient evidence in the record to support the line of duty determination.

Discussion

I.

A. Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is founded on the Tucker Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1491, which authorizes suits in the Claims Court where the basis for the claim against the United States is a statute mandating compensation by the government. United States v. Testan, 424 U.S. 392, 401-02, 96 S.Ct. 948, 954-55, 47 L.Ed.2d 114 (1976). Pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 1201, the Secretary of the Army may retire a service member for any disability which did not result from his own misconduct or willful neglect and order that he receive retired pay. This statute provides a basis for Tucker Act jurisdiction. To provide complete relief to a plaintiff entitled to a money judgment, the Tucker Act further provides that “the court may, as an incident of and collateral to any such judgment, issue orders directing the restoration of plaintiff to office or position, placement in appropriate duty or retirement status, and correction of applicable records.” 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)(2); Voge v. United States,

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Related

Wells ex rel. Wells v. United States
46 Fed. Cl. 178 (Federal Claims, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
26 Cl. Ct. 992, 1992 U.S. Claims LEXIS 440, 1992 WL 234102, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schwartz-v-united-states-cc-1992.