CAVC Case 92-1263: Back

CAVCReal U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) decision · November 1, 1995 · NEBEKER, Chief Judge

This is a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims — the federal court that reviews Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, one level above the Board. Court decisions can vacate, reverse, or affirm what the Board did.

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Outcome
Denied / Affirmed
Decision Date
November 1, 1995
Judge
NEBEKER, Chief Judge
Service Era
Not specified

Conditions Claimed

BackRespiratoryEyeRadiculopathyProstate

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Issues on Appeal

BackRespiratoryEyeRadiculopathyProstate

Why It Was Decided This Way

In the September 4, 1992, decision here on appeal, the Board determined, at the outset of its analysis, that because the appellant's claim was "plausible" he had "submitted a well-grounded claim within the meaning of 38 U.

The Board concluded that the SMRs contained "no indication that the veteran had any of the symptomatology included in the initial primary and secondary stages of syphilis," nor was there any evidence of a misdiagnosis of gonorrhea.

Accordingly, the Board denied the appellant's claim.

§ 7104(b) and § 5108 in which case new and material evidence would be needed before the appellant could "reopen" the claim.

The situation regarding § 5107(a) is quite unlike the superficially similar situation of a claimant who attempts to reopen a previously disallowed claim but does not offer new and material evidence.

It is true that a veteran, who elects to file a claim without sufficient evidence to "ground" it, and consequently has it disallowed, will, should he attempt to file a claim based on the same facts, have to produce new and material evidence before the adjudicators have authority to reopen and allow the previously disallowed claim.

The Court has defined "new and material" evidence as that which is of such significance that, if believed, it would, when considered with the "old" evidence, create a reasonable "possibility" that the previously disallowed claim would now be allowed.

The difference, if any, as we have defined it in our case law, between the evidence required to "well ground" a claim and that required for reopening a previously disallowed claim because of "new and material" evidence appears to be of slight degree.

Authorities Cited

Colvin v. DerwinskiEspiritu v. DerwinskiGodwin v. DerwinskiGrottveit v. BrownIn Grottveit v. BrownJunstrom v. BrownKehoskie v. DerwinskiMagana v. BrownMurphy v. DerwinskiRobinette v. BrownSarmiento v. BrownSee Heuer v. BrownSee Layno v. BrownSee Tirpak v. DerwinskiSmith v. BrownThompson v. DerwinskiThurber v. BrownTirpak v. DerwinskiYabut v. Brown

Regulations Cited (38 CFR / 38 USC)

38 CFR 3.156 (1994)38 USC 510138 USC 5103(a)38 USC 5107(a)38 USC 510838 USC 7104(b)38 USC 7261(a)(1)38 USC 7261(b)

Denial Type

Not New Material

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Referral disclosure: VetAid earns a referral fee if you become a paying REE Medical client through this link — it helps keep this site free. REE Medical provides paid medical evidence; it is not a law firm, VSO, or claims agent, and VetAid has not independently verified its services. VSOs and VA-accredited representatives will help you file your claim at no cost, and no one can guarantee a rating increase.