U.S. COURT OF APPEALS-FEDERAL CIRCUIT ISSUES OPINIONS ON ORVILLE K. THOMAS V/S DENIS MCDONOUGH CASE

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued the following order on March 27:

Mr. Orville Thomas appeals a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The Veterans Court affirmed the Board of Veterans' Appeals' denial of an earlier effective date for Mr. Thomas' claim of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder. Because the Veterans Court applied an improper legal standard when reviewing the Board's decision, we vacate and remand.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Thomas served in the U.S. Navy from 1957 to 1964. J.A. 1-2. In January 1961, he was an airman on a plane that crashed on Midway Island, killing nine people. J.A. 2. Of the six passengers who were seated in the plane's midsection, Mr...