Appellate Court Reverses Denial of Benefits in U.S. Navy Case

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Affairs has reversed a portion of a decision denying benefits after determining that the Office of Veterans' Affairs did not fully develop the decedent's medical records. Bartz v. Shinseki, No. 09-2961 (U.S. Ct. App., Veterans Claims).

In the Jan. 5 ruling, the court said that while it agreed with the Board's determination that the decedent's death was not caused by multiple myeloma, the Board's conclusion that his death was not service-related was erroneous.

The claims were filed on behalf of Donald LeRoy Bartz, whose service in the U.S. Navy …