U.S. Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit
Golden v Collins (23-2070) | Decided December 12, 2025
Veteran, Kevin P. Golden, sought service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Court of Appeal for Veterans Claims (CAVC) held that the Board of Veterans Appeals (Board) did not err by omitting discussion of a secondary service connection theory. In this case, the core of the dispute is whether a veteran seeking entitlement for secondary service connection must show a casual link between the secondary condition and in-service disease or injury. The U.S. Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit held that 38 C.F.R. §3.310(a) requires that a veteran seeking a grant of secondary service connection must show a causal link between the secondary condition and underlying primary condition for which service connection was granted.
Colage v. Collins (25-1536) | Decided on December 3, 2025
Veteran, John O. Colage, appealed a decision from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) which affirmed a Board of Veterans’ Appeal (Board) decision determining that VA properly withheld VA disability compensation to recoup a special separation benefit (SSB) payment. Mr. Colage’s argument is the CAVC misinterpreted 10 U.S.C §1174(h)(2) and §1174a by holding that 10 U.S.C. §1174(h)(2) applies to and requires recoupment of SSB payments made under 10 U.S.C §1174a. The U.S. Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit held that 10 U.S.C §1174(h)(2) applied to benefits received under 10 U.S.C. 1174a and that separation pay received under 10 U.S.C §1174a shall be deducted from VA disability compensation per the requirements.