Opinion ID: 839
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Judgment on the Administrative Record

Text: “We review a decision of the Court of Federal Claims granting or denying a motion for judgment on the administrative record without deference. That is, we reapply the statutory review standards. Accordingly, we will not disturb the decision of the corrections board unless it is arbitrary, capricious, contrary to law, or unsupported by substantial evidence.” Chambers, 417 F.3d at 1227 (citation omitted). Focusing only on the disability claim relating to the PTSD condition, the Court of Federal Claims reviewed the 2004 BCNR decision and granted judgment on the administrative record in favor of the government. In so doing, the Court of Federal Claims held that the BCNR did not clearly err in finding that there was “no evidence” that the condition was present at the time Cronin was placed on TDRL. Decision at 5. Upon reviewing the record, we observe that the BCNR’s two-page decision dated August 13, 2004 does not contain any discussion of Cronin’s PTSD condition. Rather, the discussion of PTSD is contained in a letter from the Director of Naval Council of Personnel Boards, dated May 21, 2004, recommending that the BCNR deny Cronin’s petition for increased disability rating. The BCNR adopted the Director’s recommendation. The relevant portion of the Director’s letter states: 3. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Petitioner presents a compelling, articulated narrative in support of both the existence and service connection of subject disorder. However, sadly, documentation is lacking of both the alleged principle [sic] egregious evoking stressors and that this condition was separately unfitting at the time of her placement on the TDRL. 2009-5046 8 Because it appears that the Court of Federal Claims relied on this recommended finding when it granted judgment on the administrative record, the judgment must be vacated. The record contains a report dated July 20, 2000, from a licensed clinical social worker, Ann M. Fisher, who met with Cronin for weekly therapy sessions, detailing numerous “traumatic stressors required for developing PTSD” that occurred while Cronin was on active duty, i.e., before being placed on TDRL. If the government believes that this report does not constitute sufficient “documentation” of the “egregious evoking stressors” alluded to in the Director’s letter—and the government’s brief is silent on this point—then the government should explain the basis for its position. In addition, the social worker’s report explains that chronic pain can often exacerbate PTSD symptoms. Thus, Cronin’s other medical conditions, which the Court of Federal Claims held were barred by the statute of limitations, may be relevant to assessing the severity of the PTSD condition. On remand, if the court determines that the disability claims with respect to the other conditions are no longer barred, then it should consider the effect of those conditions on the PTSD condition, and not merely whether PTSD alone would have contributed to a higher disability rating.