The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that federal appeals courts do not have to re-evaluate how the VA applies the “benefit-of-the-doubt” rule in veterans’ disability claims. The decision in Bufkin v. Collins could make it harder for veterans to win disability appeals unless they can prove the VA made a clear error. The Court said the VA has the expertise to handle complex medical evaluations, reinforcing stricter standards for overturning denied claims. Experts say the ruling could significantly impact future VA disability and PTSD benefit cases.
