In January 2021, the loss of use of a reproductive organ for SMC purposes was the focus of a panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals Veterans Claims issued a precedential opinion in Bria v. Wilkie. The panel consisted of Judge Meredith (who wr…
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What is the Deep Issue in the Case? Evidence in the record before the VA may raise notice of pertinent medical records and trigger the duty to assist the appellant to locate and obtain the records. Ivey v. Derwinski, 2 Vet.App. 320 (1992). Before he…
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This case involves the BVA’s failure to address an argument explicitly raised before it: whether a veteran is entitled to an earlier effective date under 38 C.F.R. 3.156(c) when service medical records are added to the file after the original c… Read More
This case involves the BVA judge’s inadequate reasoning of a denial of a veteran’s claim for an increased rating for PTSD. The appeal was resolved through a joint motion to remand. ISSUE ON APPEAL TO THE CAVC (BVA overlooked evidence of s… Read More
This case involves the BVA judge’s inadequate reasoning of his denial of a veteran’s past-due benefits in a claim for an increased rating due to an increase in the severity of the veteran’s PTSD. The appeal was resolved through a jo… Read More