The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday against two veterans who challenged the federal government’s denial of their benefits claims related to their post-traumatic stress disorder.
In a 7-2 decision, the justices said the Veterans Court, which hears appeals of denial of benefits, must give deference to the fact-finding of the claims specialists at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The veterans had argued that the law requires the Veterans Court to delve more deeply into the facts to make its own ruling.
“We hold that the Veterans Court must review the VA’s application of the rule the same way it would any other determination — by reviewing legal issues de novo and factual issues for clear error,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the majority opinion.
Justices Neil M. Gorsuch and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, saying the Veterans Court should evaluate claims without deference to the VA, saying the majority’s decision “makes little sense.”
The legal challenge was brought by veterans who say they deserve the benefit of the doubt from the government when their disability claims are considered a close call.
Joshua Bufkin and Norman Thornton argued through their lawyers that they should have received the benefit of the doubt in the court’s analysis of their benefits claims, which were denied.
They said the Veterans Court was established to give veterans — not the government — the benefit of the doubt when determining and weighing evidence in disability claims disputes.
The case is Bufkin v. Collins.
• Stephen Dinan contributed to this story.
